Shadows Asunder
by emerson023
Summary: AU story, Lost meets Silence of the Lambs. Kate and Juliet are rookie FBI agents in the Behavioral Analysis Unit. Kate has a painful past that has kept her isolated. She meets a handsome, complicated stranger that triggers newfound feelings. Sprinkling of LOST and The Walking Dead characters in a different setting. RATED M.
1. Chapter 1

**THE FBI ACADEMY - QUANTICO, VA**

The dirt trail was well worn, but crooked and jagged with rocks. Kate would need to keep an eye on the path, she didn't want anything to trip her up now. She was so close to coming in first place for the women's side of the "Yellow Brick Road", the final fitness challenge for trainees. It was grueling, 6.1 miles of scaling rock faces with ropes, climbing over walls, running through creeks and crawling under barbed wire. Kate was determined to win this, her heart was pumping fiercely and she felt like she was soaring. She then heard the crackle of dead leaves and pebbles being kicked up right behind her. Kate ran faster, the person behind her ran faster too. She could see the finish line and that made Kate put more speed into her legs. She was breathing heavy now and was only a few yards away, but her moment to rejoice was cut short by the sight of a long blond ponytail waving now in front of her.

Kate came in second … again.

It was all coming to an end, in the next two days she would attend her last classes and then take final exams. The graduation ceremony would then follow and it was all but a given that Juliet would earn the top honor and receive the Director's Leadership Award. Kate would have to settle for an achievement in either academics, firearms, or physical fitness. Her parents were going to be in attendance and witness her swearing in and be presented with her badge and credentials.

During the past twenty weeks, Juliet Carlson, a fellow trainee had become her confidante, friend and chief rival for the coveted top spot. Kate graduated from Northwestern University and earned her Master's of Science in Forensic Psychology. She had applied for the five year program, allowing her to begin her graduate studies during her senior year of college. She returned home and joined the Des Moines Police Department and, yes, it had been surreal working for her father, Sam Austen, the Police Chief.

When she turned twenty-four and became eligible to apply to the FBI, she didn't waste a moment. But due to budget shortages and a hiring freeze, she would have to wait another year before she would hear back. She had learned a lot in those three years in Iowa, but everyday she eagerly waited for that invitation to join the FBI. Wanting to explore and learn more about law enforcement. As it would turn out, it would be her job as a cop that permitted her to apply for the assignment she wished for.

There was no question which division Kate wanted to work in, the Behavioral Analysis Unit - crimes against adults. For Kate, it was this or nothing at all. Since high school it had become her singular mission, even though her parents had tried to dissuade her, fearing that it would always keep Kate living in a painful and gruesome past.

It should have been mathematically impossible, but it happened … Juliet and Kate were assigned to the Boston Field Office AND in the BAU. But Kate would shortly find out that Juliet was sleeping with a senior agent in the Training Division - James Ford. At Juliet's request, he pulled some strings and called in some long overdue favors.

It was their last day at the Academy and they would have one week before their office assignment began. Kate and Juliet were in the process of picking up their firearms and ammunition.

"Special Agents Carlson and Austen." They both turned to look at Miles Chang, another fellow graduate. "So, you ain't gonna believe this, but I was just booted out of the Chicago office and would you take a guess where I've been assigned?"

The women rolled their eyes.

"No way, Chang." Juliet said. "How did this happen?"

"Well, BAU - crimes against children in Boston had a last minute spot to fill and well the rest is history."

They were an unlikely trio of friends. Kate and Juliet were an obvious friendship, but Miles was less apparent to the outside observer. Fellow trainees didn't understand why the eggheads would hang around with the wisecracking, doing just enough to get by Chang.

Juliet smirked, "Jeez, I can't shake you. But don't expect me to hold your hand anymore, you're a big boy now and you'll have to be on your own."

Chang knew she was kidding - sort of. But she _had_ saved his ass by helping him with final exams. If he wasn't such a decent detective for the LAPD, he would never have landed in the BAU.

Kate then added, "And you better find your own place, because you're not crashing on my sofa."

* * *

**BEACON HILL, BOSTON, MA**

Jack paused at the entrance of the bar. He shouldn't go in, instead he should go to the gym in his building, do thirty minutes of rope-jumping, a thousand ab crunches and an hour of lifting weights. It's what his old friend Rick would tell him to do: _Stay out of the bars, they only cause trouble._

It's been a while though, four months, five, maybe even six? He was just promoted, didn't he deserve to celebrate? Granted, it didn't feel like a promotion, a transfer was more like it. But, yes, on paper, it was a promotion.

Jack walked in and made his way to the long counter. He looked at his watch, it was only 6:00 pm, the bar was saturated with the Friday happy hour crowd. He briefly thought about leaving, but he remembered that once the drink specials ended, the place would clear out quick enough. He climbed onto a stool, settled his briefcase by his feet and ordered a drink, his usual … scotch on the rocks. His eyes roved the expanse of the bar. It was a younger collection of career men and women in their twenties, early thirties. His eyes then settled briefly on one figure, a woman with long brown hair, fair skin peppered with freckles. Swept back, very pretty … _young_. She was standing against the far windows, accompanied by an attractive tall blonde and a man. The girl had one hand casually thrust into the front pocket of her jeans and the other holding a glass.

And. She was looking at him now. Straight at him. Then just as quickly, her eyes went back to her company.

Jack dropped his eyes back into his drink and shrugged his shoulders in silence. He then murmured under his breath, something about not fucking around anymore. A reminder. _No more meaningless sex._

Kate's face colored, she had glanced right back at the handsome gentleman sitting alone at the bar. He was wearing a slim-fitting charcoal grey pinstriped suit, the knot of his tie was pulled loose. The dark hair at the back of his nape, brushing against the shirt collar. Kate wasn't sure, but she judged him to be in his late thirties. She had never been attracted to the older "suit" types, but this man had definitely caught her eye.

She looked back at Juliet and Miles, trying to catch up with the conversation after being distracted. They were out celebrating their graduation and new assignment which was starting on Monday. By the time 7:30 pm rolled around, Kate's friends were ready to leave.

"Are you ready to head out, Kate?" Juliet asked. Miles was antsy for a change of scenery and cheap booze.

Kate looked around and the man was still at the bar, but now there was an attractive female sitting next to him, talking to him. She felt a little disheartened, oddly, feeling like she blew an opportunity. But she still didn't want to go to her empty apartment either. "No, I'm gonna have another drink and then head home."

"Are you sure? We can stay with you, if you want."

"I'm good. Seriously."

Juliet quirked a curious brow at her, "Are you going to conduct your "field study?"

Kate laughed, "Am I that obvious?"

Juliet shrugged at her hopeless friend and whispered into ear, "I think you should try and get into a man's pants instead of trying to study his brain. You're focusing on the wrong head. When is the last time you got some?" Juliet enjoyed teasing her about her strange "study/hobby" and non-existent sex life.

Kate smiled, "I'll see you later." She watched them leave through the door and then looked for an empty seat at the bar. Juliet was probably right, she was a little pathetic, a bit of a nerd. But she couldn't help it, she enjoyed studying human behavior, honing her ability to notice subtle cues during conversations or simply observe how people interact. Especially, when they weren't aware that they were being examined. She reached into her bag, pulled out her book so she could begin taking "field notes."

Meanwhile, Jack had been polite and firm in turning down the woman's offer to go home with him. He hadn't even talked to her for very long before she propositioned him. Women came easy to him, perhaps too much so. And not too many months ago, he would have left with her. No questions asked. But that kind of pleasure wasn't what he was looking for tonight. It was what he was trying to avoid.

The woman looked offended and almost snarled at him before leaving him alone - thankfully.

Just as he predicted, people had begun trickling out of the bar once the half price drinks were no longer discounted. He preferred the quieter atmosphere anyway, it was easier to get lost in his own thoughts and drink. He looked up again and was slightly disappointed when he didn't see the pretty girl in jeans standing in her spot anymore. Not that he was contemplating anything, but it was fun keeping the potential thrill alive in his imagination.

He released a low sigh and turned his head and he paused. He had to crane his neck for a better look, to make sure he wasn't imagining it. _She hadn't left. _As a matter of fact, she was sitting only one seat over at the bar. She looked busy though, writing into some journal or the sort. Wearily, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger and decided to order another drink.

Jack stirred the ice in his glass while studying a pair of men in their late twenties eyeing the pretty brunette with obvious appraisal. Even though they found hopeful pleasure in paying attention to her, she repaid them by rejecting the drink they tried to buy her. They both laughed and gave each other a mocking high-five before moving onto someone else. Jack shook his head and held in a chuckle. For whatever reason, he liked what he perceived to be her no nonsense attitude. And that made him wonder even more.

_What was she doing here alone, in a bar, on a Friday night? What the hell was she scribbling? _

For the last half hour he had seen that she had barely taken her eyes from her book, busy jotting down notes and taking a few studious glances at the unrecognizable faces surrounding her.

Kate was beginning to feel her hand get tired.

"Excuse me, would it be okay if you could take that seat," a male voice asked referring to the empty spot between Kate and the handsome guy_, _ "So my wife and I can sit together?"

Kate set down her pen and lifted her head to look up at the man. "Excuse me?" She asked. But she had heard his request, her mouth was just slower to react, "Of course. No problem," she answered before allowing him the chance to ask again.

Kate slipped her notebook back into her bag and moved to the next stool to allow the couple to huddle together. She reached over and dragged her drink across the smooth surface so that it was again nestled in front of her. She looked straight ahead, but could feel the raw masculine heat radiating from the man now sitting a few inches away from her. Why was she even noticing that he had an earthy smell, she couldn't place it, but it made her start to think about sex. She felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. Now that she was closer to him, with half-lidded eyes, she snuck a better look at his handsome features. He was even better up close. And more than ever, she wished she was a practiced flirt. She wanted to be the kind of woman who was sure of herself and her attraction for men.

Jack licked his bottom lip, enjoying the whiskey taste lingering there. She had green eyes, a feature he hadn't quite been able to discern from the distance. The color, the shape … they were beautiful and further accentuated by the green silk blouse she was wearing. Jack knew that he wouldn't be able to continue this charade of silent disinterest much longer. She wasn't just pretty, she was stunning.

"Are you a writer?" His voice was a little raspy.

Kate turned to him and she wore a puzzled expression.

He tipped his chin to her bag that contained the notebook. "I noticed that you were busy writing before, so I was just taking a wild guess."

Kate drew in a deep breath, she was caught off guard, not just by his voice, but by his eyes. They wore a tender, but intense expression at the same time. Kate got the impression that he was very private maybe even moody at times, but buried deep underneath there was a vulnerability to him.

"No, I'm not." She knew she should try to continue the conversation, but she didn't want to tell him what she did for a living either, so she would lie. "I'm in sales, fixed income products for institutional clients." Kate wanted to make it sound dull and not worthy of discussion, yet on second thought, it may have been a bad idea. He looked like a banker and would be able to call her bullshit. "How about you?" She asked before taking a sip of her Chardonnay.

"I'm a lawyer." He studied her face again and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was lying, but did it really matter? "So sales, huh? _Sounds exciting_." His voice was light and teasing.

Kate smiled back, "_Very._"

_God, he was hot._ He was so good looking that she was willing to ignore the fact that she hated attorneys after having had to always deal with them back home in the Des Moines Criminal Courthouse. After dating one that turned out to be an asshole.

"Oh, your career sounds as exciting as mine. Perhaps we should just pretend that we're international spies or something. My name's Kate, by the way."

A big smile stretched across his face, he extended his hand to shake hers, "I'm Jack. And, yeah, no shop talk." He paused again before asking, "So why are you here alone? Jotting your October sales figures into that notebook, on a Friday night?"

Kate chewed the inside of her cheek and she was guessing that he didn't believe her cover story, "No shop talk remember? You're alone too … and on a _Friday_ night."

With a playful tone, and with added arrogance for affect, he answered, "It's different, I'm a _man_ -"

"Oh please, don't tell me I just heard you say that." Her eyes were sparkling now, she may even be flirting.

Jack chuckled, "So I got a reaction out of you, Kate. I was teasing, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm still curious."

Kate felt herself relaxing, enjoying this banter. "As a matter of fact, I was out celebrating my new position with some colleagues."

Jack's eyebrow rose skeptically, "Let me guess, they're in 'sales' too?"

Kate bit her bottom lip and smiled, "_Of course._"

"But they left and you stayed …." He trailed off, trying to coax her into finishing his thought.

"If I went out with them, I'd probably get really drunk and be hung over tomorrow. And it was just too early to go home and be by myself." She watched the way he was studying her, his expression clearly indicating that he was listening to every word she said. It was almost unnerving. "So enough about me, why are you here _alone _Jack?"

Jack was about to tell her that she didn't have to go home alone tonight if she didn't want to. But he stopped himself, remembering that he was not going there, not tonight.

"Actually, I was on my way home to exercise and I got distracted and decided to come in for a drink. Had a stressful day, stuck in meetings … you know what I mean. And the rest is history."

Jack noticed her empty glass and then asked, "Can I offer to buy you a drink or will you shoot me down too?"

Kate giggled, knowing what he was referring to, "You saw that?" And then her voiced lowered, "Were you watching me?" She wasn't accusatory, if anything she sounded curious and flattered.

Jack's eyes darkened and he trained them on her lips. He glanced back at her eyes, looking at her with a raw intensity and his voice was heavy, "I think you knew I was looking at you, Kate."

Kate's tongue was too thick to help her formulate a response, a shiver ran down her spine, while a bead of sweat collected in between the hollow of her breasts. And so help her god, she wanted this man to ravage her this second.

"Oh." She squeaked out.

Jack saw the bright heat travel across her cheeks and it was beautiful. For a brief second, he wondered if he was imagining her and she wasn't real. Because, surely she couldn't be.

He ordered them another round, to give them the excuse to keep talking, to bump their shoulders, elbows or knees against each other.

Two drinks later, Jack and Kate both simultaneously looked across the bar at the pair of men that had tried to pick her up earlier. Apparently, they were able to score after all, as they were each seen leaving with female company.

"Ahhh, I see your admirers didn't leave empty handed after all," Jack shook his head slightly in subtle amusement and looked for Kate's reaction.

Part of her, so badly wanted to be that person, the kind of person that would accept a no strings attached proposition. She wanted to finally experience sex that way.

She sighed and without thinking, she said "I've never had a one-night stand." _And why did she just tell him that?_

Jack's brows rose at her unpredictable confession. That disclosure - was it an invitation? _Hopefully? _The eroticism of the vision that flashed across his brain made him catch his breath. The slight buzz of conversations being had by other patrons around them seemed to fade even further into the background. He lifted his glass, swirled the liquid and listened to the ice clink. He rolled his shoulders and turned to look at her.

"Why not?" He asked simply, but the words lingered in the air. And he was curious now because there was no way in living hell she didn't have the opportunity to get laid every night of the week if that is what she wanted. With every passing second, she managed to intrigue him further.

Kate glanced at him again, found him watching her intently, and felt herself begin to blush again. He was staring at her in a peculiar way, not judgmental, but with a certain intensity that confused and … excited her.

Absentmindedly, she dragged the top of her forefinger along her bottom lip as she tried to select her words carefully. _He could't possibly understand._ "I'm not sure really. I guess … I don't think I'd be any … _good _at it."

Jack pulled back for one instant as if to look at her again, as if to make sure he heard her correctly. _Who was this girl? And she couldn't be serious. I mean …. LOOK at her._

He chuckled and took a hard gulp of his drink. He watched her from the corner of his eye, paused again, "I'm sure you would be _great_."

After another moment. Silence.

_On second thought_. His curiosity getting the better of him, he narrowed his brows and wondered, "You're not a virgin are you?"

Almost unconsciously, Kate squared her shoulders, "Uhm … _no_." There was rhetorical sarcasm in her voice. Yet, she felt insecure now, did she come across as so … inexperienced? For some reason, she didn't want this particular man to think she wasn't …. sexual. _Absolutely NOT! No way!_

He caught the way her little nose crinkled in annoyance and he tried to take his comment back. "Hey, I was just checking." He was smiling warmly now. And he caught how the ends of her luscious lips lifted then. It was official, she was exquisite. How he didn't see that immediately would remain forever a mystery to him.

"I've had a couple of boyfriends."

"Just a _couple_?" There was amusement in his voice. He liked _this _girl. And it ran deeper than her fetching exterior. He couldn't pinpoint it, but she seemed to radiate from the inside out. And it's been a long time, a very long time since his cynical self saw anything that wasn't tainted or spoiled in some way. His job, his history, _him_ … all of it. All of it was fucked up, broken and damaged. But when he looked at her, she was … _new. A kid. _And his heart sunk, he ought to slip away now. Leave before he allowed himself to give in to what he wanted and would fuck up.

"Yes. Two." She bit her bottom lip and made a small sound of exasperation. "And why am I telling you all this? I'm either very drunk or out of my mind."

"You don't seem drunk."

"I'm … not."

So, she hadn't known many men. And that thought stirred up a burning desire, a need to be a member of that small fraternity that did know her.

And, without realizing it, he felt a connection with her and it went beyond just the physical. There was something sad and pained about Kate and he understood it on some level. He didn't know why, but when he stared at her mouth and he noticed that she did the same, he got the impression that they both wanted to kiss each other's loneliness.

Jack shrugged. He let out a long slow breath, shaking his head a little before adding, "Sometimes it's easier to talk to strangers."

And they _were_ strangers, with nothing and everything to hide from one another.

He really should go.

He looked at his watch, it was only 10:00 pm. _He really should go_. He looked at Kate, "It's getting late, I better head out."

Kate's stomach flipped, she looked at her watch. "Why? It's still early for bedtime. How _old_ are you?" She tried to sound like she was teasing him, but she didn't want him to leave. Somehow, she was sure that he would take her question as a form of encouragement.

"Old enough to not enjoy being asked." He winked. And then looked at her expectant and searching face, before asking, "How old are _you_?"

A knot of desire formed in her belly and when she found the response of unfettered desire in his eyes, she knew her self-imposed sexual abstention was about to end. Deprived so long of not only sex, but any physical contact. She didn't know why she felt this, but all she knew was that if she took this stranger home tonight, she would let him use his hands in a thousand ways. Yes, she … _needed _this.

She paused a second, her eyes locking on his. "_Old_ enough to not have to be asked."

Jack studied her expression and his jaw slackened just so slightly. His mouth was dry as sandpaper.

And did he understand her, _partially_? _Mostly_? …. However much it was, it was enough. Her eyes were dark and full of sensuous meaning. He wasn't planning for this tonight, hell, he was specifically looking for this NOT to happen. And yet, he knew he was not going to turn away the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He wanted to leave the bar with her, he wanted to see her, he wanted to experience her.

_Rick could go fuck himself. _

"You wanna get out of here?" He asked, his voice now heavy, weighed down by the undeniable urge to discover the sort of pleasure he was certain she was able to offer.

She didn't need to answer. She watched him stand up, close out the bar tab and then extend his hand to help her down the stool. He assisted her with her coat before resting his hand on her lower back as he led her out.

It was a chilly fall evening, it held a hint of a frosty winter that would likely follow. Instinctually, Kate drew the collar up around her neck. It was only a couple of blocks to her apartment and they hadn't said much to the other during the five minute journey. Kate began her way up the stairs to the second floor of the walk-up brownstone. Jack watched her little tight ass move and he was most grateful that her jacket was short.

Kate tried not to betray her nervousness as she searched for her keys. Maybe it was his smell or the heat she felt coming off of him, but she was doing her best to stay cool. She flipped on the light switch and took the couple of steps that led into her tiny living room. She carefully took off her jacket, draped it over the back of her sofa and then slipped off her shoes. She didn't have the courage to turn around and face him. But she could feel him standing quietly a few feet behind her. _Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. It was stupid … dangerous even. What would her parents think? _She, of all people, should know better than to invite a stranger into her home.

Jack watched her carefully, noticing that her shoulders seemed to have tensed up. He walked up close, so that he was standing right behind her now, their bodies grazing. He took her slight hips in his hands and noticed that their span nearly circled her. Without wearing her heels, she seemed so tiny, but he enjoyed the visual contrast of her demure size next to his. He bent his head over, brushed his lips across her ear and felt her shiver and lean into him. She may have even released a tiny groan.

"Kate, it's okay if you've changed your mind and would like me to leave ...," he whispered into her ear. He gave her a gentle and hopeful squeeze. Kate's eyelids fluttered and she looked down at his large hands. She held her breath. She turned around so that she was now facing him. He looked at her, his eyes trying to read hers. His expression was easy to read, Kate saw his hungry, raw lust. The pulsating sensation in her brain immediately traveled down to gather in a liquid pool between her thighs.

Was him leaving ever an option?

Kate grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket, yanking him down to clamp her open lips on his.

* * *

********IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU WANT ME TO CONTINUE (especially considering where I left it off, right?). IF THE READER FEEDBACK IS LUKEWARM OR MINIMAL, I WILL STOP HERE. ** **

**A/N: So, I can't get this story out of my head and I had to get it out there. I really want to experiment with my writing in this story. I'll probably be more graphic with sex scenes (but, there is a characterization basis for it - I don't like being gratuitous for no reason). Oh and my characters will be OOC. I probably could have just made the characters up, but Jack and Kate are so darn pretty ;). Jack will be darker, less likable than I have usually written him, but I wanted to give this version of Jack a shot.**

**Oh, I know nothing about the FBI and from what I could tell, Kate wouldn't be eligible for BAU assignment without 6 years of law enforcement. But, I'm fudging things here because I really like the age differential between Jack and Kate here. **

**And don't expect some great murder mystery because my focus will be on the romance, of course! Anyway, hopefully I have dialed down any high expectations ;).**

**And please keep any theories or potential spoilers out of your reviews, for now.**

**No worries about FAFO and TTR, they have not been forgotten and will be finished. FAFO is pretty close and I would love to finish it within a month. TTR, I have needed a break from. I love that story, but it takes a great deal of effort to write and I have SOOOOO much left.**

**Your reviews are always appreciated and make me SOOOOO happy! **

**P.S. I borrowed Rick Grimes from the TWD. Jack's best friend is Rick - ha! I love that bromance and needed to explore it here! **


	2. Chapter 2

With her lips still latched on his, she shoved him forcefully against the wall and his shoulder nearly knocked down the framed picture hanging there. Gratefully, his precise reflex reaction allowed him to catch it before crashing to the floor. He shifted his position, carefully hung it back up and turned to her again.

Kate felt silly now. Clumsy, overly eager ... amateurish.

Sensing her sudden trepidation, Jack reached up and gently cupped his hands on her soft cheeks and bent down to give her a slow, deep reassuring kiss.

His warm breath hit her face, "Where's your bedroom?"

It didn't take much to cover the expanse of her 700 sq ft. apartment as she led him by his hand into her room. She walked over to a lamp that was sitting on her dresser at the far side and turned it on, keeping the dimmer on low. His eyes did a quick sweep around the tidy area before landing back on her face.

_Stunning. _There really wasn't much more that came to his mind. She was incredible.

He took a few steps forward and placed his hands on her hips so he could tug her closer and bend over to nuzzle her neck with his warm lips and stubbled cheek. He heard her release a sigh.

Jack's hand slipped into her soft hair and cupped the back of her head, while the other hand inched up the hem of the silk fabric that was tucked into her jeans. Kate leaned forward pressing her torso against his, kissed him harder until they were both breathless and forced to draw apart to gasp for air.

He felt like he shouldn't enjoy the taste of her tongue pressing against his as much as he did, it was a sensation that was much more intimate than he was used to, than what he generally cared for. And it unnerved him, made him quiver and for the first time since he could remember, a deep sensual kiss made him hotter than actual fucking.

But that feeling didn't stop his fingers from teasing across the buttons of her blouse, slowly unfastening one at a time. Meanwhile, Kate's impatient hands weren't idle, they fisted the shoulders of his jacket to help him shrug out of it, his tie and shirt quickly followed. She took a tiny step back and paused a moment to absorb the sight of his bare upper half. The colorful tattoos were an interesting and unexpected twist. But she liked them … _a lot_. They gave him a more dirty, dangerous vibe, a thrill that turned her on more than it probably should have, it took all her self-restraint to not tear into him at that moment. Jack caught her admiring stare and offered her a bemused smile in return.

Kate's hasty fingers made their way to his belt buckle while he tried to work off her blouse and for the briefest second he was tempted to rip the stubborn fabric off of her. Kate watched his appreciative gaze rest on her chest and she wished that she had worn some racy, hot lingerie instead of the basic black cotton bra and matching panties. But judging by Jack's slack jawed stare at her bustline, he didn't seem too disappointed. And to be honest, she should be on her hands and knees thanking the heavens above for giving her the wherewithal to bother shaving her legs today. Their mutual anticipation was building though and they both eagerly worked at the waistbands of each other's pants and wrestled the material down their legs.

Jack looked good to her starving eyes, his long muscular legs, lean torso and patch of chest hair. Yeah, he was hot.

With some sly maneuvering on his part, Jack slid her bra off and stopped to stare. _God. Was there any part of this woman that wasn't perfect? _

His hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs rubbing over the light pink tips. Without thinking he ducked his head down and took them into his mouth, sucking and licking, the sensations causing Kate to loll her head to the side and grip the back of his head with encouragement. And then she thought of something and had to gently nudge him away.

Jack looked up, reading the concerned look crimp her face, and asked, "Hey. What's wrong?"

She blushed, but exhaled the words, "This is embarrassing, because I don't do this sort of thing. You're the first man I've taken home like this. But, uhm, … I don't have any … _protection." _

Jack nodded, understanding. "I'll be right back." A few seconds later, he returned with his briefcase and sat on the edge of the bed to unzipper it and eventually pull out an unopened box. He placed it on her nightstand and her eyes widened in alarm.

"What's the matter now?"

"Jesus, Jack. Should I be concerned that you carry around -" She reached over to inspect the container. "That you carry around a 26-count package of condoms?! Maybe I should be asking to see your medical records."

Jack released a sheepish chuckle and rubbed the back of his head, "It's not like _that_. I was at the drug store picking up a few things and I happened to buy these too." He saw her skeptical look and then reached into his case and lifted a 'CVS/pharmacy" bag containing shaving cream, deodorant and toothpaste. "See?"

He stood up and looked at her, darkness filling his eyes, "But seriously, it's my full intention to use a few of these with you tonight, Kate." Then with a playful wink he added, "But you'll have to manage your expectations, because I guarantee I am unable to go through an entire box in one evening."

He wore an ernest look and for some reason that warmed her chest. "Come here," she whispered, curling her index finger to beckon him closer. He stepped towards her, nodding his head slowly.

She watched him stop and push down his boxers and a dull ache started in her groin. Kate was no penis expert, but from her vantage point his was looking pretty fucking good. Jack was definitely holding up his end of the bargain, that was for sure.

He caught Kate's lingering glance, made his way closer until he was leaning over her, his fingers now tickling along the elastic waistband of her her underwear. And, yeah, his hard cock was clamoring for Kate's attention. "I think it's your turn," he said wryly as he began to tug the skimpy sides of the fabric down her legs. He licked his lips and let them trail down her neck, onto her breasts moving his mouth over one nipple and then switching to the other. He then continued to kiss a wet line down her stomach and then lower and … lower until she clamped her hand over the tuft of hair between her legs.

She shook her head with apprehension, "Uhm. Seriously, you don't have to do _that_ -"

Jack chuckled, ignoring her while he nudged her thighs apart and placed a fluttering open mouth kiss on her inner thigh. He casually moved her hand away, "I think we both know that neither one of us _have_ to do anything here, Kate."

His hungry eyes locked with hers and she felt a puff of air hit her sex. She sighed. _Just go with it_ _Kate. _She settled her head back and let it sink into the downy feathers of her pillow.

And his tongue trailed along her crease and then focused on her clit, licking, rolling it over and over against his teeth and making her come quickly - and, yes, this was her first orgasm from this type of foreplay and she was still shaking from the explosion. _This_ man finding all the right spots that somehow always eluded her two exes - the pair of idiots.

Once her hips settled down against his mouth, he wiped his face and made his way up again, hovering over her, taking in the blissful dazed expression in her eyes. He enjoyed that, knowing Kate this way, making her feel good. Their mouths came together again, in a deep lingering kiss where she could taste herself on his tongue and she liked it. He drew himself onto his knees, his eyes settling on the slickness in between her supple thighs and …_ fuck_ … he was horny as hell. It was definitely time to take this to the next level.

Kate anxiously watched him roll on the condom and for some reason she found the act pretty fucking erotic. Yeah, Jack rolling a condom on his penis was freaking hot!

He teased the tip of his cock at her entrance before easing himself in. He sucked in a low growl when he met her warm tightness, then settled for a moment to take her hands and pull them over her head. He began moving slowly, his thrusts slow, long and deliberate. Kate groaned with approval and she shifted her leg over his hip which seemed to encourage him to fuck her harder and more recklessly. Kate watched the way he looked at her, his eyes full of lust and pleasure and for the first time in her life she felt sexy and truly desired. A louder moan came from her lips and another orgasm swept through her. He watched the way her little nose scrunched, and eyes clamped shut and his cock twitched. The muscles in his flexed arms began to burn so he leaned back onto his knees and lifted her with considerable ease, keeping their groins connected. Their bodies were sheened with sweat and Kate could feel the damp hair on his chest tickle against her breasts.

The new position made her feel like she was being turned inside out. His hands traveled up her sides and one hand found her nipple and gave it a delicate squeeze, while his mouth captured the other. His hand and mouth got rougher and it seemed a perfect balance between pain and pleasure. She rode him hard as he pushed upwards, both of them desperate to ease the aching between their legs. Kate's right arm wound around his neck and her palm cradled the back of his head, sloppily drawing him in for a warm and wet kiss.

They worked hard to find their mutual release, sweating, panting, filling the small bedroom with loud profanity laced groans. Kate didn't know how much more she could possibly take of this and when he took her hips in his hands, just below her ass and squeezed the cheeks together she was finally pushed over the edge. _Jack! _She shouted into his open mouth. Jack stopped thinking then, pulling her up and down, pounding her against him until he felt a grateful spasm and his release followed.

Still holding her flushed to him in his lap, Kate's exhausted head collapsed onto his shoulder and he could feel the puffs of jagged breath against his neck. She began to dazedly kiss and nip his shoulder and collar bone while he soothingly dragged his fingers along the dampness of her lower back. He didn't want to disengage their connection, but he had to. Jack carefully laid her down and eased himself out, taking added precaution to not spill the contents of the condom. He leaned over, cupped her face and brushed away the damp ringlets that were sticking to her cheeks. She looked spent and ... satisfied. He gave her a quick kiss, "Just give me a minute."

Kate nodded and told him, "The door to the bathroom will be on your left." This all felt surreal, she thought as she lifted the sheet over her and waited, she heard the toilet flush, the water from the sink run and he was back wearing a mischievous grin.

His voice was heavy and thick, "Hey, I have an idea. Let's take a shower." Without waiting for her response (no wasn't an option), he reached out his open hand to take hers. She almost resisted, but something inside her agreed to his suggestion and he yanked her off the bed. He was about to follow her to the bathroom, but stopped to palm a condom off the nightstand. He grinned, thinking about a soaking wet Kate in the shower - it could only end one way.

Kate turned on the valve and let the water heat up to a comfortable temperature before they stepped in.

His eyes were focused deep in concentration as he massaged and shampooed her scalp. He wondered out loud, "Is your hair naturally straight or curly?"

She smiled at his question, "Curly. You'll see."

He looked down at her, the way her thick eye lashes were heavy with water droplets. Without thinking, he dipped his head to give her a peck on the tip of her nose. And that gesture scared the hell out of him.

"So is taking showers with women that you've just met part of your repertoire?"

Jack chuckled while he continued his soothing ministrations to her head, "To be honest, no." And he was being truthful, shower escapades weren't part of his seduction routine. Ordinarily, he would have already found an excuse to make an exit or if the sex was particularly good he would maybe stick around for one more romp. But _this_ was decidedly different. And he didn't know why he felt so comfortable with her, but he did, "You can rinse your hair now."

She closed her eyes, leaned her head back under the spray and Jack couldn't resist the cascade of water sliding down her chest. Kate felt his mouth move over her breasts, sucking her nipples into pointed peaks. Once the shampoo was rinsed off, she wrapped her arm around his shoulder urging him up to kiss her lips.

Their tongues danced and dueled together before they drew their mouths apart. Jack reached for the bottle on the shower ledge and began to squirt body wash into each of their palms so they could lather one another. Jack let Kate rub the suds over his chest and back before rinsing off so he could focus on her.

Kate raised a cynical brow. "I think they're pretty clean, Jack," she said looking down at his hands that have been fastidiously working the soap onto her breasts for a long while now.

He grinned with mischief and continued to lather her nipples, "What can I say? I'm thorough."

Jack then paused and Kate saw the devil in his eye when he reached down to take her hand and then wrap it around his thickening cock. "Are you _thorough_, Kate?"

He didn't give her a chance to show him whether or not she was, because after a few gentle pumps to his shaft, he nudged her body around and began placing hot open kisses along the side of her neck and then to her shoulders. He moved his hand to her front and slid it downward until his fingers entered the warm wetness he was looking for. Kate moaned and pressed her backside against his groin, letting his fingers explore. He pulled away his hand and she released a whimper of frustration. His lips returned to her neck and began nibbling her back. His lips and mouth made their way down her back, until he was on his knees and squeezing the fleshiest part of her ass. This may be his favorite body part of hers, he thought. It was so cute and tight and he had to fight back the urge to take a little bite. Instead he would have to settle with sucking and licking her soft butt cheek. And, yes, he felt like he was bowing to her, as he should. _The woman was a goddess._

Kate felt him pry her thighs apart and a second later his tongue darted to her clit and she jolted. _This _man and his mouth - _Jesus_. She didn't know that these sensations were physically or anatomically possible and his new _approach_ was deliciously unexpected. The angle and the accuracy of his swirling tongue was enough to make her climax again. _Who would have thought?_ She braced her hands against the cool tile so she wouldn't fall over, her legs were that wobbly. She felt Jack kiss his way back up, flex his hips against hers and whisper into her ear, "Don't move."

He stepped out of the stall to grab the small square package off the sink counter and a few seconds later he was standing behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist just before pushing into her.

* * *

Jack woke up, squinted his eyes and found Kate still encircled in his arms. Carefully, he adjusted their positions and sleepily reached over to the nightstand so he could read his watch. It was almost 10:00 am, it was late, it was time for him to leave. Quietly, he searched for his clothes and got dressed. He picked up the foil wrappers and stuffed them into his briefcase. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at the little mound under the blankets, with only a floppy mess of brown long curls spilling over. He pulled out a legal pad and pen from his bag and jotted out a note:

My Beautiful Kate,

Be rest assured, you have nothing to feel insecure about. As far as 'firsts' go, you were perfect.

Good luck with the new job position.

- Jack

He almost added his phone number, but then wondered if that was such a good idea. This was supposed to be a one-time deal. And, if he did change his mind and wanted to see her, he knew where to find her. He could mull this over for a couple of days to figure out if he should continue something here. He tore off the sheet of paper and placed it on her dresser.

He then walked over to the bed and climbed on it, being extra careful to not wake her. He hovered behind her, placed a soft kiss on the side of her face. He couldn't resist his hand sliding under the covers to give her little butt a gentle squeeze. She didn't budge, all the activity had obviously knocked her out. Part of him was tempted to wake her up and make love again, but she looked so sweet and peaceful, he didn't have the heart to disturb her. Instead, he whispered into her sleeping form, "Do me a favor and don't bring any more strange men into your bed. It's not safe." He knew he was a hypocrite of the highest order. And he was feeling uncharacteristically possessive. For the first time since he could remember, he felt stirrings of sexual jealousy.

He let himself out, but not without taking a mental note to remember her apartment, building numbers and checking out the name on her mailbox: _K. Austen_.

He hailed a cab outside, stepped in and directed the driver, "Back Bay please."

Kate was awoken by the ringing of her phone, she fumbled around the side of her bed and finally picked it up.

"Hey, I'm starving. Let's grab some brunch," Juliet said.

Kate grumbled and looked at the time, _Jeez it was 11:30 am. _

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Juliet detected the froggy, just woken up tone in Kate's voice, "Were you still sleeping, Austen? It's close to noon!"

"Yeah, late night. I'll tell you about it over lunch. Is Miles meeting us?"

"Uhm no. He's busy puking in my toilet." Juliet then drew her phone away from her mouth and Kate could hear her shout out in the distance, "And he better clean up the fucking mess he made. Did you hear that Chang?"

"Rough night, huh?"

Juliet laughed, "Not for me. But Miles got hammered and spent the night on my bathroom floor.

They agreed on a time and local place to meet. Kate stood up and walked over to the mirror above her dresser.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and the image she saw was nothing short of indecent. Circular purple marks peppered a trail from her shoulder down to the swell of the underside of her breast. And then there was the quarter-sized black and blue on her hip. She wondered how she got that one. But she imagined that Jack's body wasn't fairing much better.

Her eyes rested on the piece of paper in front of her. The message made her smile. She studied the masculine handwriting, it was neat but slightly crooked. Part of her, a big part, hoped she would see him again. She didn't even want to shower and shed his scent that was covering her, but as a courtesy to Juliet she would - reeking of sex was probably not what her friend needed to get a whiff of.

After her shower, Kate put on a pair of trendy black yoga pants, a matching shirt and her orange running sneakers. Within a few minutes, she was sliding into the booth of the restaurant and sitting across Juliet.

Kate was ravenous and her large order of french toast, scrambled eggs and bacon matched her appetite. Juliet observed her friend, "So spill it. Why were you still sleeping when I called?" She then saw a blush creep across Kate's face.

"Holy shit! You hooked up last night. Details please!"

Kate nodded, "Hmmm, let me think how to start -"

"Think quickly Kate."

Kate giggled. Despite Juliet's stringent work ethic and professionalism when it came to her work, she was a like a fraternity guy when it came to this sort of stuff. The more sordid the details, the better. Kate let the words tumble out, "He's gorgeous Juliet. I mean, the best looking man - I swear." She paused, closing her eyes for a moment in recollection. "The sex … it was … _incredible_ … the best I ever had."

"What does he look like?"

"Older, dark hair, brown eyes, a nice easy smile -"

Juliet gave a mock bored looking expression, "And what about his dick?

"Juliet!" Kate gasped, even though she shouldn't be surprised by that question coming from her friend.

Juliet rolled her eyes at her, "Well, I don't care, I want to know."

Kate sighed, somehow feeling that she owed Jack some loyalty and to keep such things private. But she also knew Juliet was relentless, so she bent over the table and whispered, "He's about six foot one or six foot two and perfectly … _proportionate, _if you know what I mean."

Juliet nodded, "So he's hung. Got it." They paused to watch the waitress place their plates in front of them and refill their waters. Kate quickly went to task of buttering the french toast and lathering it with pure maple syrup. She took a big chomp and practically sighed from gastric pleasure.

Juliet watched how Kate attacked her plate and was compelled to comment, "Wow, he worked you good last night, huh?" Kate nodded in agreement as she continued to inhale the food, not wanting to interrupt the flow of calories into her stomach.

"You said he was older, how much?" Juliet was beginning to make this feel like an interrogation.

Kate swallowed some of her fresh squeezed orange juice and shrugged before answering, "Not sure, late thirties, maybe early forties."

Juliet nodded. That's why she thought Agent Ford was pretty hot in between the sheets, Juliet was all but certain that she would never waste her time with a guy in his twenties again. "Well that explains it, older guys know what they're doing. So did he you _know_ …?"

Kate blushed and nearly choked on the bacon in her mouth.

"So, I'll take that as a 'yes, he went down on you'."

Juliet took a long sip of her coffee and studied her friend, "Were you able to …."

Kate nodded.

Juliet slapped her palm on the table, "Finally! _See_, I told you your ex-boyfriends were doing it all wrong. So this guy was able to find his way through the Bermuda Triangle. So you liked it, I mean how many times did you …?"

Kate lifted her hand and flashed her five fingers.

"Nice. Five orgasms in one night is pretty solid."

Kate shook her head 'no' as she continued to chew her eggs.

"What do you mean 'no'?" And then Kate grew bright red.

"No way, did he _go down_ on you five times?" Juliet's jaw nearly hit her lap when she saw Kate's eyes drop downward. "Holy shit, Kate! You might as well have discovered the lost city of Atlantis. That's an incredible find. Your first casual encounter and you won the oral sex lottery. Good for you."

Kate was feeling giddy now, the endorphins still kicking and the words just bubbled out, "To be honest, I lost track of how many times we had sex, I think it was seven or eight. I don't know Juliet. I don't think I'll ever be the same." Kate shook her head in bewilderment, still in shock over the events of the past evening and earlier this morning.

"Did you get his number?"

Kate shook her head and bit her bottom lip, a gesture that hinted at some frustration, "No, it wasn't supposed to be like that."

"Do you think he's married?"

Holding up her fork and knife, Kate paused a second, "He wasn't wearing a ring and he spent the whole night." And Kate then thought of the scratches and hickeys she left on him. _ If he was married, he wouldn't be for much longer._

"Well, he knows where you live, he may look you up."

Kate wistfully thumbed her coffee mug. She hoped so.

* * *

**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA**

It was early Monday morning and about thirty agents in BAU gathered into the medium-sized conference room. The meeting was called together at the last minute and that left them feeling anxious. Chang leaned over and whispered into Kate's ear, "Word on the street is the new boss is a raging prick."

Kate whispered harshly back, "How the hell would you know that?"

Chang was about to respond when Juliet then shushed them as a dark haired man quickly stepped in and made his way to the front. Kate watched him and couldn't help but notice what pretty brown eyes he had. Seconds later, two other suited gentleman entered through the glass door.

Kate's heart dropped into her stomach.

_No, no, no, no, no!_

_NO. NO. NO. NO. NO._

This couldn't be happening. Kate looked helplessly around. Wasn't this the moment where a camera crew is supposed to emerge from offstage and the host announces 'Smile! You're on Candid Camera!'?

But no. This was real. This was her life. And that was _him_.

Kate was careful not to react, but she was stunned. More than stunned actually, she couldn't believe it. But then again, this was her. For the first time in her life, she had done something unplanned … reckless and … it was _amazing _and of course it would turn out disastrous_._

_But this was bad. __**Real **__bad._

Her career was only just starting and she already broke the cardinal rule: Don't shit where you eat.

The man wearing eyeliner began to speak, "Some of you don't know me yet, but I'm Special Agent Alpert, the man standing to the right of me is Special Agent Ethan Rom."

Rom nodded his head as he scanned the conference room.

"But most importantly, I want to introduce you to our office's new Special Agent In Charge, Jack Shephard. If you don't already know, Special Agent Shephard has just transferred from the L.A. Field Office where he headed up BAU for the region. He has an extensive forensics background and is responsible for the apprehension of countless violent offenders. Before joining the Bureau, he was a police officer with the LAPD and then went to UCLA Law School, whereupon graduation he worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for three years. We're fortunate to have him here and I expect all of us to make his transition here seamless. He has assumed …."

Kate stopped listening, the loud pulsing in her brain was drowning everything out. Kate swallowed dryly as she sat there in dread.

Kate then watched him travel down the row, shaking hands and making speedy introductions. As he got closer, Kate straightened her shoulders, indicating her readiness.

_She was next._

Kate took his extended hand and she saw him look upon her with … _disheartening indifference_. A blank face that registered no recognition. Not in the slightest. She stared dumbly at him while he waited. "And you are?" He asked, his voice carrying the slightest note of impatience.

_Apparently, she was slowing him down and taking up too much of his overbooked calendar._

"Uhm. Special Agent Katherine Austen, sir," she managed to croak out. "Nice to meet you Agent Austen," he said stiffly. He then gave a short nod, shook her hand perfunctorily before continuing onto the next person.

Kate felt stung and it took all her effort to contain the tears that were starting to form. The ultimate humiliation. How could he possibly not remember her? It wasn't much more than 48 hours since she had this man in her bed, in her shower, in between her legs, in her … mouth.

He then stood in front, his pinstriped tie knotted with perfect precision. She wanted to strangle him with it.

He rested his hands on his trim hips so that his navy colored blazer lifted and exposed his holstered handgun. His stance was one of casual confidence and it demonstrated to everyone in the room that he was the kind of man that made sure to have everything under control, his control.

"I'll have my assistant schedule meetings with everyone in the upcoming days. For now, I'll let Agent Alpert finish up here. Goodbye." Kate watched him stride out and couldn't help but notice that he seemed irritated to be there, like it was a waste of his precious time.

* * *

**A/N: Okay so here is the second chapter. I am sure some of you are thinking that this was a bit derivative of FAFO, but trust me I will make it different ;) When I came up with the idea that Kate would sleep with her future boss unbeknownst to her, I thought I was being SO "original" and then ForeverErica had to gently break it to me that this was already done in Grey's Anatomy (I don't watch GA, so I wasn't aware of that plot line). Oh well, but I am going to have a twist and I have the challenge of rebuilding the heat and tension between these two. And what better way than to have them team up to solve a string of murders and apprehend a serial killer ;)?**

**This story is an experiment for me in style and content. I am also trying an attempt at humor (I hope it works). Also, this was a hell of a lot more graphic than what I'm used to. I definitely traveled outside my comfort zone, but I thought the story needed this upfront eroticism for their connection to work. And since this Jack, _my_ Jack is more sassy, risky and naughty, I have a little creative license. Oh, and it's definitely Season 5 and Season 6 Jack that I'm envisioning here.**

**Don't expect every chapter to be "porn" laden, there will be a dry spell, but I think I will be able to break it up with 5 maybe 6 steamy flashbacks, lol ;) I think we're all curious to know exactly what went down that night and left them wanting more.**

**A big thank you, goes out to those that have provided their support. It is appreciated from the bottom of my heart. TRULY.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Jesus, you look like you saw a ghost," Juliet whispered to Kate as they were standing in a huddle in the now emptying conference room. Juliet glanced around to make sure that no one was within earshot, "He's gorgeous, isn't he? I wasn't expecting _that _ to walk in. Lord." Teeth worrying her lower lip, Kate did her best to not burst out into laughter at the sheer absurdity of her newfound circumstances or ... burst into tears from the swell of hurt she was feeling. Chang laughed shortly. "He's a condescending asshole. I've worked with enough of them to be able to tell."

"Oh, shut up. You're just envious that he packs all that heat, no pun intended. Right, Austen?" Juliet turned back to look at Kate with one eyebrow slightly raised. Still caught off guard, Kate took a few beats to try to gather her wits, "Uhm … sure-"

"_Sure_? That's it? I can't wait for my one-on-one meeting with him." Juliet winked.

Kate disengaged herself by lingering and watching them walk out. _Jack had to remember her._ Was he just covering it up? And planning to take her aside and have that whole 'we're adults and we can move beyond this' conversation?

* * *

Jack hesitated. Now standing by the front of his office door and rubbing at the tension that seemed to be gathering in the back of his head. Instead, he decided to walk in the other direction towards the elevators. He really should go back to his office, but the need for some fresh air seemed to take sudden urgency.

The beautiful young agent, with her thick curly hair pulled neatly back and wearing a tailored black pantsuit. It was _her ... Kate._

Instinctually, he tried to shake off the lingering feel of Kate's velvety limbs wrapping around him, how she tried to stifle her soft whimpers with the back of her hand, even the adorable way she had smiled at him from her tousled sheets.

He shook his head again. He _really_ fucked up this time.

Once outside the office building, Jack took several long breaths and looked around the busy plaza. He felt an urge to begin pacing, to try to grind out the anger and frustration into the asphalt pavement, but he was in a public place brimming not only with fellow agents, but other civilian office workers.

He inhaled. _He really could use a drink about now_ - it was 10:00 am.

Jack could feel the eyes of a woman scanning him from a nearby bench, he turned to look at her - blonde, early thirties, _pretty_, smiling widely at him, smoking a cigarette.

"Want one?" She offered, lifting the palm-sized cardboard pack, all the while admiring his trim physique under the meticulously tailored suit.

Jack shrugged, "Sure."

He didn't even smoke, he wasn't a smoker, not even when he used to smoke countless cigarettes with _her, _the rookie that he was assigned to partner with ... to mentor_. _ He was overcome by a sudden recollection of tedious hours spent sitting in a nondescript sedan, on surveillance detail, drinking too much coffee and puffing away in the thick grey haze. Waiting, waiting, and talking in between long drags of Camel Lights. And once she was gone, so was the tobacco.

He bent over, so the blonde could light the cigarette for him. Jack took a long, slow drag before blowing a smoke ring into the chilly October air. He could sense from her body language that she wanted to talk. Ordinarily, he would have appreciated this type of distraction, but he wasn't in such a mood. Jack had to figure out how he would approach this delicate and tenuous situation he had waiting for him upstairs. So, he thanked her politely and began to make his way back to his building. He missed the flash of disappointment come across her face, how she had hoped to chat up the handsome man.

Jack went straight to his office and sat in his chair, eyeing the stack of personnel files he had asked his administrative assistant to print out for the BAU Boston Field Office. It had been his intention to stop by the office on Friday, before his official first day, to pick up these exact files and review them. _But he decided to have _that_ drink instead._ They were organized by alphabetical order, so hers was on top, of course -_ Austen, Katherine Anne._

He pinched the inner corners of his eyes and sighed. Because, so help him, part of him was relieved that he hadn't picked up the files and reviewed them on Friday. That would mean that he never would have shared that incredible night with her.

He had spent a good deal of the remainder of the weekend trying to shake Kate out of his mind. But yesterday, going against his instincts, Jack had all but decided that he_ was_ going to look up Kate, call her, ... ask her to dinner. He wanted to take her out properly and get to know her.

And ... well, it looked like that wouldn't be happening anymore.

So he lifted the file with the FBI seal printed prominently on the cover, flipped it open and was met with her headshot photo. He felt the smile raise the corners of his mouth. Of course, she looked beautiful, she wore that ubiquitous grim and sober look that all agents' government IDs shared. Ironically, these ID photos tended to look more like mugshots than, say, passport photos. But hers didn't and he absentmindedly found himself thumbing her paper cheek and recalling how soft and smooth her actual freckled skin was.

And to make matters worse … he did something that he had become an expert at when it came to women, he had hurt her feelings this morning. He saw it in her face, that look of rejection by his icy introduction.

His attention returned to the organized documents in front of him and he began to read through them, to learn more about her. Age 26 - _Shit! _(she _was_ young, he was hoping that she was in her early thirties, but, yeah, he knew better), born and raised in Iowa, Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Northwestern, a police officer. But it was her psychological profile and the attached newspaper clippings and photos that caught his attention.

Jack's heart sunk as he intently scoured through the pages, slowly understanding how she ticked, finally confirming that perception he had when he met her. Somehow he had known that they both shared a painful past. But most of all he felt sad and then sorry for her. If Kate thought that by joining the Bureau, and more specifically the BAU, that she would find answers … she would discover that it was a waste of time. There were certain things in life there were simply no answers for.

_ Kate, you'll spend your entire life chasing your own shadow, _he whispered.

He leaned back into his chair taking in all the newfound information. Part of him was surprised that she passed the psychological profile, that she wasn't disqualified because of that specific event in her personal life. Or perhaps the Bureau considered that was the very reason she should be hired.

_ Oh, Kate. _

* * *

Kate was hunched over her computer when Juliet approached her. She decided to not mention that SAIC Shephard was the man she had taken home with her. Kate also hoped that Jack would always keep his tattoos hidden under long shirt sleeves. Kate couldn't remember how detailed she had been with Juliet, but she silently prayed that she hadn't described the ink markings. She still couldn't look at Special Agent Shepard in the eye or anywhere else, for that matter. And last week Kate had been actually relieved when she learned that he was called down to Washington headquarters for a few days.

"So, it's Friday. Are you going to that same bar tonight and see if you can find your mystery man."

A flash of heat and shame ran up Kate's spine, a sensation that has been plaguing her the past two weeks. Kate responded flatly, her voice barely eking out the words, "No. Sometimes … uhm … it's better to leave things be and not spoil the fantasy with reality."

Juliet's nose scrunched, "What the hell are you talking about? This man turned your fantasy into a reality. You said that no man has ever made you come like that by eating your pus"

Kate's eyes nearly popped out of her head, "Ehhhh! Shhhhh. _Juliet._" She then craned her head to nervously scan around for anyone (one person in particular) that could be within hearing distance. But like a perfectly on cue whac-a-mole, Miles's head popped up over the wall of their shared cubicle.

"Did I hear someone say _pussy_?"

The sound of that word provoked the usual spasm of embarrassment from her face. In a low hiss, Kate said, "Someone is going to hear. Can you two be quiet?"

With a knowing grin, in a way that suggested she had done this countless times before, Juliet smirked at Miles, "Chang, don't you know? Agent Austen doesn't like the word 'pussy'. It _embarrasses_ her."

Miles winked at Juliet, hinting that he was going to play along, "What? That's like my favorite word. See? Pussy, pussy, pussy. I looooooove pussy."

In a gesture of defeat, Kate shook her face before dropping her forehead with a thud onto her desk. It was true she did hate that word, she could never utter it from her lips. And it was also true, no one ever made her come like that and by just using his mouth?

She pressed her head further onto the flat surface_. Forget it, Kate. Try to forget it ever happened … apparently he did._

During the past couple of weeks Kate had been trying very hard to banish Jack from her mind.

It wasn't really working though. The man was a work of art.

The conversation with Jack that she had expected would follow their introduction never came to fruition and it left her feeling so … confused. She should be so content, finally at the place in her career she had worked so hard to get to and all she could concentrate on was the man, her boss down the hall. A man that she didn't even recognize to be the same one she opened herself up to. The man that was now merely yards away from her was impassable, brooding and sort of, dare she say it? Asshole-ish.

Miles looked down at Kate, "So Austen? Why am I so late to the party? You got laid, huh? Why're you holding out on me? I thought we were all friends."

Kate stiffened, sat up and looked over Juliet's shoulder. Miles and Juliet followed Kate's gaze to Shephard who was now approaching them.

"Well, look who's coming. Special Agent _in Charge _Douche," Miles muttered.

Reacting with nervous discomfort, Kate threw him a warning look, and whispered "Chang you have to stop saying that all the time, you're gonna get yourself in trouble one day." In the short time he was there, Special Agent in Charge Shephard had been efficient in developing the reputation as someone that demanded strict control of the office. Kate just knew that Miles would trip himself up if he wasn't careful.

Moments later, Shephard stood before the three of them. He didn't look once in either Kate or Juliet's direction, but with a flat even voice he turned to Miles. "Special Agent Straum-Chang, can I have a word with you in my office? I just have a few questions about your FD-292 report."

Miles tried to hide the grimace in his expression. First, he thought that HR had gotten his name straight. _It was a sensitive issue for him_. Secondly, being called into his office can only mean he was in trouble.

Kate and Juliet looked curiously at one another hearing this new name he used to address Miles, they were even more curious by that than _why_ Miles was being pulled into Shephard's office.

Looking a little apprehensive, Miles lifted his shoulders and gave the girls a quick nervous look before following Shephard towards his office.

By the time Miles stepped inside, Shephard was already seated behind his desk. Leaning comfortably back in his chair, stretching out his long legs, Jack eyed Miles carefully. Chang's report was placed prominently for view on the otherwise pristine and clear surface. The document was ablaze with angry red ink.

Jack allowed for a long and uncomfortable pause to linger in the air as he continued to scrutinize Miles.

Jack leaned even further back into his chair, now with his ankle resting comfortably across his knee before releasing a heavy exasperated sigh.

He barked an order, "First of all Agent, fix your tie."

Miles obediently tugged the knot tighter.

Jack shook his head in disappointment and pointed to the report in front of him. "Frankly, Special Agent Straum-Chang that is one of the most poorly drafted reports that has ever been submitted to me. It's incoherent, incomplete, redundant at times and I'm not going to comment on the spelling and grammar. I just gave up on correcting it. I know you just came out of the Academy, but first impressions are very important. And so far, yours is not off to a strong start. I suggest you go back, fix it and re-submit it before you leave the office for the weekend." Jack looked at his watch, "It's 4:47 pm now."

Miles's mood deteriorated. _There goes happy hour._

Jack then turned to face the monitor of his computer, an obvious signal to Miles that the 'Chief' was done. Miles quietly stood up and almost made it to the door.

"Oh. Special Agent Straum-Chang. One last thing."

Miles winced before stiffly turning to face him, "Yes sir."

Tipping his head at the direction of the report in Miles's hand, Jack told him, "Please also make sure to correct the spelling of my name on the report."

Perplexed, Miles looked down at the report and read the name "Shephard" and then he glanced at the name plaque on the door, "Shephard".

Confused, Miles shook his head slightly and his eyes rose in question, "I'm sorry sir, I thought there _were_ two 'h's in your name."

With a cool look and tone, Jack corrected, "_No_. There's only one 'h'. D-O-U-C-H-E. One 'h' in douche, Agent."

* * *

In the office pantry room, stirring the sugar in her mug, Kate was hardly aware of the slight movement of the tall person now standing next to her. In the background, the soft sound of the steaming liquid pouring from the spout of the coffee dispenser could just be heard. The nearby rustling movement forced herself out of her trance and she tilted her head to the side to see Jack standing there, leaning ever so casually against the counter.

Kate looked at him and he stared right back at her. Kate felt the heat in her face spread right through her body. He took a large gulp of his black coffee (straight, no sugar or milk … _that figures), _his eyes never left hers. They stood there, eyes measuring, slightly wary.

But then, his stance seemed to change, to relax even. In some subtle, inexplainable way, she felt as if he was challenging her. As if urging her to call him out, to acknowledge their night together. It had been three weeks and he had yet to give her a hint, a knowing nod … _anything_. And here he was wearing a tiny … _smirk_?

She sucked in a breath, trying to keep herself from smacking him.

Breaking the silence, he nodded slowly and asked, "Special Agent … _Austen_?" The intonation, clearly trying to hint that he was working REAL hard to recall her name. Ordinarily, Kate would have made an involuntary movement of escape, to get herself out of this embarrassing situation. But that would be her chickening out, wouldn't it? He placed his cup on the surface next to him, crossed his arms and smiled almost mockingly at her. Was he playing some kind of sick game with her?

She took a deep inhale to help her get control of the situation. Kate was used to being one of the few females in what was basically a boys club, but she made it through the Des Moines PD, the FBI Academy … and she would tough it out here with him too.

_God, he was arrogant! _

Kate met his challenge and kept her voice flat and expressionless, "That's correct. You have a_ very _good memory Special Agent Shephard."

Jack found himself smiling, laugh crinkles showing around his eyes, thoroughly enjoying the feisty sarcasm in her comment, the way she stood up to him. And yeah, it was turning him on.

The truth was, he has been acting like a total dick towards her, he never did take Kate aside and say anything to acknowledge their personal relationship. He had been suddenly called down to headquarters and as more time passed, it just became easier to avoid the entire situation by simply ignoring it. And it was better for Kate this way, he told himself. Much better to make her hate him now instead of later on. Because she would eventually hate him, that was a certainty, his romantic track record … he ruined everything. And his recent conversation with Rick wasn't exactly encouraging either.

And for some reason, his gut told him that he wouldn't want to have something with her and be the one to fuck it up - Kate wasn't a woman he would be able to lose and easily recover from.

But seeing her _now_ ... _here_ made his will-power suddenly weaken.

His eyes traveled over her slowly, in the same way he had the first night they met. He took in every dip and curve of her torso skimming navy sweater and trim fitting grey trousers. Despite the heat coming off him, Kate shivered and she could feel her nipples swell. Jack's eyes, his body language was too insistent, he had a way of forcing a raw physical reaction from her that she couldn't control with her mind or will. She almost turned her face away from him to avoid his eyes and she was certain that he heard the catch of her breath.

Taking advantage of their solitude and _being extremely stupid_, he took a step closer to her - unable to fight the urge inside him.

"Agent Shephard?"

Jack and Kate both quickly stepped away from each other, Kate awkwardly reaching for her coffee mug while Jack coughed into his closed fist, "Yes, Agent Alpert."

"Assistant Director Locke is on the line and insists on speaking to you immediately."

Jack nodded and took his cup and followed him out.

Kate watched them leave and she felt an edge of anger crawl up her spine. She didn't now what his problem was, but Jack clearly had issues and it infuriated her. And she was left still unsure that he indeed remembered her.

* * *

That evening she opened her laptop and angrily created a new file, a _Profile_ of her new study:

_**Subject 23**_

_**Approximate Age: 35-44 **_(Kate guessed here, still not sure)

_**Gender: Male**_

_**Race: Caucasian**_

_**Location: Boston, MA**_

_**Physical characteristics: **__Tall, handsome, amazing smile, large hands …. very sexy. _

Damn it! Kate sighed then hit delete and began typing again.

_Brown eyes, Brown hair. Approximate height: 6ft 2in. Approximate weight 175 to 185lbs_

_**Psychological Makeup and Personal details:**_

_23 is intelligent and articulate. He exhibits controlling characteristics and need for order. _

Kate paused a moment and then with some flair, she happily began to type again:

_Exhibits narcissistic patterns of behavior, perhaps even borderline personality disorder/distorted thinking. Experiences disassociative breaks from reality or extremely forgetful (unlikely as the subject holds a senior management role in a large organization and sharp memory is integral)_

_- Likely attention seeking personality seeking father figure approval_

Kate released a loud yawn and stopped typing. She looked at the clock on her TV cable box - 11:37 p.m. She would pick this up tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay in updating this. I was busy finishing up FAFO and finally giving TTR the attention it deserved. And I have also been doing "research" for this story. I think I will be drawing most of my inspiration from Agents Clarice Starling and Will Graham (Silence of the Lambs and The Red Dragon). I have already ordered some books from Amazon that were written by the FBI's leading/pioneering Profilers. **

**I suspect that I will end up having terrible nightmares reading through this stuff though - lol. **

**It sort of dawned on me that I probably should have not made Jack and Kate profilers, but instead just field agents. I know that my story deviates a lot from FBI structure and practice and I hope you will allow me some creative license (a.k.a - bullshitting) here. I noticed that there appeared to be a social aspect, friendly banter and some flirting in Criminal Minds, this story will have that.**

**Oh, I have a hard time with the "P-word", so I am trying to confront my phobia of it here. **

**And can I just express my excitement about the overwhelming response this story has received from you all? I can't tell you how happy these reviews made me. I mean truly. ****Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**GRIMES RESIDENCE - NEWTON, MA **

(… _two weeks earlier)_

Jack slowly walked through the gate of the white picket fence that charmingly wrapped around the Cape Cod style house. In mindless habit, he tossed his key ring into the air and barely noticed the jingling sound each time he caught it with his right hand. He bounded up the couple of steps and rang the buzzer. He could feel the cold pressure of early November New England wind strike his cheeks. After a few seconds, Rick swung open the red-painted oak door wearing jeans, a blue t-shirt and a big smile. Grinning, he pushed open the storm door to let Jack inside, "Get in here!"

Not even two steps into the house, Jack was drawn into a burly embrace and Rick was slapping him on the back. Jack laughed, "It's good to see you too, man." Rick smiled while noticing the flecks in Jack's hair, "I see you're catching up to me and getting some greys."

Chuckling, Jack said, "Yeah, getting long in the tooth. I swear, I have no idea where the last decade went."

Rick knew though. The two of them have worked really hard, advancing in their respective careers. Demanding work that would age anyone. Noticing that Jack had the strap of his briefcase on his shoulder, Rick asked, "Are you coming from the office? On a Saturday?"

"Yeah, had some work to do. I still need to update the organizational chart for BAU. I can't figure out who should be reporting into who. I need to sort it out quickly too."

Rick nodded, "I hear ya. So… how's everything? Settled into the new digs?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, the moving company took care of most it. " He then released a shiver, "Brrrr. It's cold here, how have you adjusted? From Georgia to L.A. and now Boston?"

"It took a little while, my inner southern boy fought it tooth and nail, but snow on Christmas is nice though. Carl has taken to it pretty well."

Jack removed his black down puffer vest and shoes in the foyer and then followed Rick down the flight of sisal carpeted stairs before stepping into the large room. He looked around, taking in the hanging flat screen tv, the kitchenette and gargantuan leather sectional,"So you finished the basement renovation since I was here last. It looks good Rick."

Rick rubbed his jaw, "Well, it cost me a fortune, Lori went overboard. I still can't get over the cost of living here. Down in Atlanta, I could have bought a mansion for the price of this cottage." Rick walked over to the bar fridge and reached in to grab two bottles of beer. He popped the caps off with the bottle opener before taking a spot next to Jack on the sofa.

"My dad still says a job is waiting for you at his former law firm - they have a Boston office. Anytime Rick, all you have to do is ask." Rick shook his head and it wasn't that the offer wasn't tempting as hell. He could triple his salary and that would take a lot of stress off him, off the family, but he loved his job as an assistant prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office. Jack hadn't liked it as much though, his inclination always with the apprehension of criminals as opposed to prosecuting them. Christian Shephard was now a Federal Court District judge in California, but he had been a partner at a law firm for many years. Jack was his only child and he tried to mold him into the image of himself. So when Jack announced to him the day of his graduation from Columbia University that he was applying to the LAPD, Christian naturally had a fit.

While working as a cop, Jack decided to enroll in the night program at UCLA Law School and that is where he met Rick, a classmate. Christian pulled a few strings and got them coveted positions within the U.S. Department of Justice. Jack's legal career was short-lived though and he decided the Bureau was a better fit for him.

Rick smiled, "Look at you. So, how's it feel to be the man in charge? The head honcho, running the Boston Field Division." Rick teased as he tipped his beer towards Jack and then took a solid gulp. Truth was, Jack didn't care for the promotion. More bureaucracy, paper work and another level away from what he enjoyed most - being in the field, solving cases. And he hated the public relations aspect of the role, speaking to the press and media. It was not …_ him._

"It's just _great_, Rick. I walk around the office with a perpetual hard-on for a beautiful girl, but otherwise it's _fucking_ _great_."

Rick nearly choked on Jack's uncharacteristic lewd comment - his mouthful of beer went spraying everywhere. Jack felt the flying drops hit against his cheek, he promptly stood up and walked over to grab some paper towels from the counter. Jack leaned on one straight arm, his hand closed over the granite edge while he concentrated on the effort at dabbing the paper on his face. His voice was dull, without conviction, "Thanks, I appreciate being spit on."

Rick looked at him incredulously, "Sorry man. It's just you don't usually say things like that. That's a comment I'd expect coming from Shane, not you."

A frown crept across his face, Jack didn't know Shane very well, having only met him at Rick's bachelor party, wedding and then Carl's christening. But he knew enough from all the stories he heard over the years to know that Rick wasn't paying him a compliment here. Jack handed Rick a sheet from the towel roll and then sat down next to him again. Jack wasn't one to divulge, but the Kate 'situation' had been weighing on him, especially after he all but ignored her and failed to acknowledge their relationship this past week. Maybe he didn't sound like himself because he didn't _feel _like himself.

Rick studied Jack's troubled expression, muted the Boston College football game on TV. He leaned over, a tiny grin still lingering on his lips, even though he was trying to be serious, "Jack. What's going on?"

"First of all, wipe that look off your face, Rick."

"What look?" Rick asked with a smile.

"_That_ look," Jack said while feeling an irrepressible edge of frustration.

Rick grumbled and nodded.

"You want to hear the truth then?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, speaking as someone who has to listen to bullshit all day long for a living, I want the truth."

Jack hesitated. "I screwed up. I slept with an agent from the office ... and to make matters worse, she's right out of the academy-"

"How? I mean … _when?_ You've been in Boston barely longer than a week." Rick was stunned, he sighed and peeked over his shoulder to find Jack rubbing his temple.

"Well, it happened. You're not going to believe it Rick-"

"Try me."

"It was random, actually. I met ... _Kate_ at a bar before I knew who she was, before she knew who _I am_. We talked a while and one thing led to another and I went home with her … it was nice."

"It didn't occur to you guys to mention what you did for a living?"

"She lied and I left out a few details."

Rick detected something in Jack's eyes, something deeper, a wistfulness that hinted to him that whatever he shared with this woman was more than simply "nice" for Jack. He knew him for a long time and Jack wasn't one to dwell on his sexual encounters. This one was different.

Rick prodded, "I can tell, this girl got under your skin. That means she must have been pretty amazing to leave an impression on that old cynical heart of yours." Rick shook his head in amazement and with a bit of envy while recalling his days as a single man and even though he never took as much advantage as he could have, it didn't mean that once in a while, he imagined having that freedom again. "I swear, I live vicariously through you, Jack."

"Why? You're not missing a thing, Rick. You've got a nice life here. Lori … Carl, a beautiful house … a family. You don't want to trade places with me." He thought of Rick's life and wondered if he could slip into it, fulfill that deep longing to relax and put his past behind him. But, a part of Jack knew that he wasn't cut out for settling down - barbecues on Sundays, walking the dog each morning, playing golf, while real monsters were still out there. He would always gravitate towards the darkness. And then he thought of Kate, her file, what he discovered about her - she was drawn to the shadows as well. He then leaned over and unzipped his bag, pulled out a folded piece of paper and wordlessly handed it to Rick.

Rick opened it and saw the fresh face of a young woman … a _beautiful_ woman looking back at him. He studied the photo a moment, trying to see her from Jack's point of view. He saw the appeal, he understood his friend … up to a point.

"She's gorgeous Jack and you weren't kidding, she's _young_. I mean, how old is she?"

"I know. She _is_ probably too young." Jack let out a heavy sigh, "I don't know what got into me. I saw her from across the crowded bar and she just pulled me in. There's something about her. _Maybe_ -"

Rick shook his head. "You're not thinking of pursuing this, right Jack? Re-read the Bureau's Sexual Harassment Policy. Going after this is nothing but trouble -"

"You don't think I know that? But it's out there already. We've already done it. Who knows? Maybe this could turn into something?"

"Yeah, it could turn into a lawsuit," Rick said. Jack wasn't one for long-term relationships, that much Rick knew. And to pursue a colleague just starting her career seemed like a disaster in the making. And Jack wasn't very good at separating work from the personal once emotions got involved. "Jack, do I need to remind you what happened the last time it got personal between you and an agent? Don't do this -"

"Kate is different. This is nothing like it was with Penny. You don't even know what you're talking about, so shut up Rick."

In bringing her up, Rick knew he had crossed the line with Jack and he shouldn't have. Looking at him in edgy apology, Rick was about to say something. But he heard the door slam upstairs and quick footsteps race down the stairwell.

_Ah, _Rick thought. _Excellent,_ Lori came home from soccer practice and delivered Carl in perfect time to break up this uncomfortable conversation.

"Uncle Jack!"

Jack stood up and wrapped his arms around the eleven year old boy, "Carl. You're gettin' big. Soon you'll be kicking our butts."

Carl giggled as Jack playfully tousled the mop of messy hair on the boy's head. "You better eat your spinach, Uncle Jack."

"You're right. I better hit the weights, huh? And April 13th, keep your calendar open. I ordered the two of us Sox home opener tickets."

Rick groaned, "We're Braves fans in this household!"

Carl squealed, "Only you are dad! I'm not! Fenway Park, here I come!"

Rick rolled his eyes, but he was pleased. Jack had no siblings and Rick enjoyed seeing how close his son was to him. Despite the fact that Jack and Rick's family had been living on opposite coasts for about three years, they remained close.

Jack urged Carl to take a seat next to him, so they could watch the football game together. Jack watched Carl peel the knee socks and shin guards off his legs. "How was practice, Carl?"

"It was good. Are you gonna watch me play soon?" The boy asked with eagerness.

"Of course, tell your dad to send me your game schedule and I'll definitely come to a few of your matches." For the first time, Jack noticed Carl's freckled cheeks and he knew _why._

"Can we play some touch football in the backyard when the BC and Notre Game game is over?" Carl asked. Jack nodded, moments like this, he missed his college days when he played the sport. "Of course, just remember to take it easy on me."

* * *

**AUSTEN RESIDENCE - BEACON HILL, MA**

(_now_)

Kate did not try to sleep. Still in her work clothes, lying on her bed for hours, Kate thought about Jack, what happened in the pantry last week, the response it ignited in her. She then remembered what they shared during their night together and a specific act, one that filled her with embarrassment and regret for letting herself get so caught up in the moment. Now, the one thing she wished for most was to find herself transported a year or two in time when everything would eventually settle. _This_ had to settle.

Kate saw him once at a coffee shop near the office, standing in line to place his morning coffee order. Even in the most mundane setting, Jack was enticing, _even_ when wearing his conservative suit and tie. She noticed a few women give him a once over and it was as if the entire female population in the Greater Boston Area was now finally onto Kate's little secret. He was oblivious to the attention though, too engrossed in his Blackberry, with a copy of The New York Times tucked under his arm. Kate shrunk away, not wanting him to catch sight of her and at that moment her desire for him was excruciating.

And there were moments she would see him come out of a closed conference room looking as if he were about to shove someone's head through a wall. And why was that so hot to her? Sex, that's what he was. Walking sex, who needed porn when all she had to do was show up at the office? And she was questioning her sanity now, because what did it say about her? That she was attracted to a man that essentially slept with her and tossed her to the side. That she was attracted to a man that seemed to have anger and memory issues. But it wasn't entirely one-sided she believed. She saw the way he briefly looked at her and it made her feel good, in control. And it made her want to punish him with his apparent attraction to her.

* * *

**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA**

Agent Shephard and Agent Rom nodded as Juliet and Kate stepped into the elevator. Kate eyed Jack with bristling wariness as she edged past him. Juliet greeted the men and she made some light conversation, while Kate, unable to control herself, gave Jack a brief catty, sideways look. Jack did notice, but remained aloof, trying hard to conceal the smile that was trying to stretch across his face. She wore a look that was disdaining and he found it unspeakably charming. He may actually be falling in love with her he briefly thought.

There _was_ certainly something between them and it wasn't just the physical attraction or her obvious anger with him that made him want her. He felt _it _each time she was near. She lowered her head slightly when she caught him looking at her ever so briefly.

After the female agents left the elevator, Jack and Ethan were alone, Rom observed out loud, "I don't remember the new agents looking like that when I graduated from the Academy." Jack nodded, his demeanor remaining sober. After an awkward second, Jack realized he should say something, camaraderie was important. "Yeah, me neither." And Jack was relieved with his decision to place Kate under Special Agent Alpert, a dedicated family man and not Rom the bachelor who, understandably, had a pair of eyes.

"What was _that _in there?" Juliet asked, studying Kate's expression as they walked towards their desks.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, you were rude to our boss."

"I was not. I just let you do all the talking."

"No, you shot him a dirty look, Kate."

"He's arrogant. I'm sure he's used to getting those kind of looks by now. I bet he hardly noticed," Kate said sourly.

"I don't think he's arrogant. He's reserved, maybe even shy or a bit anti-social. It's just his personality. Well, despite your impression, I've heard a bit about Shephard and as well as being exceptionally good looking, he's a damn good agent. He's known for getting the most tight-lipped subjects and inmates into conversational moods. His instincts are always on the money - the man's a natural, he understands criminals and knows how to catch them. There's a reason he's quickly climbed up the ladder of FBI management, especially for his age. So if you want to join Miles and have your career headed for oblivion, keep up the attitude."

Kate squeezed her eyes shut. She was practically ready to scream at the top of her lungs that the man was NOT _shy_. She almost laughed out loud. _ Shy? Oh hell no, he wasn't. _

_Juliet didn't know him_. And the image of Jack in her shower stall, the two of them touching each other so intimately, kissing …. a memory that screamed everyday to be recognized - to be acknowledged by him.

Juliet paused a second, waiting for Kate to respond. But Kate continued to remain silent. "Are you looking to get into his crosshairs too, Austen? Shephard already has it out for Chang ... or Straume, or whatever his real name is - Miles still won't talk about it."

"You know as well as I do, that it's typical to intimidate new agents, that's standard Bureau training. I also understand the organization's by the book mentality, but I'm not allowing myself to be walked all over. If Special Agent in Charge Shephard has a problem with my attitude, he can address it with me." Kate said, then shrugged and tried to round the corner of the hallway and away from Juliet.

"_Hey._ What's going on Kate? This is not like you," Juliet asked as she caught her by the arm, much to Kate's annoyance. Now, Juliet was perplexed, she hardly recognized her friend. They stood there for a moment or two, in an air of awkwardness and mutual irritation. There was a part of Kate that wanted to break down and share her secret. Keeping it inside was eating away at her. Kate wanted a shoulder to cry on, because she did feel hurt by Jack's actions and she was beginning to think that she was given a nut or an asshole or both for a boss.

But Kate was also so close to telling her friend off. Juliet had no idea what she was talking about, about what was really going on here and she hated the feeling of being judged by her. Instead, she took a deep breath of composure. "Nothing's going on," Kate answered in a hushed, respectful voice.

"Did your one-on-one meeting with Shephard go badly?"

Jack then appeared down the hallway and Kate noticed him glance at her over Juliet's shoulder. "Shhhh. He's walking towards us and the answer is no. My meeting was re-scheduled for this afternoon." Kate expected him to walk past them, but instead he stopped. "Special Agent Austen, is this a good time for our meeting? My schedule opened up a little and I can meet now if that works for you."

Kate was nervous and she hoped that she didn't reveal that emotion.

"Sure. I mean yes," She answered before shooting Juliet a 'we'll catch up later' look.

Jack followed a pace behind her and Kate couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring at her ass. She took the empty chair in front of his desk and heard him carefully shut the door behind them before circling around to take his seat. Kate noticed that he had removed his suit jacket and he absent mindedly loosened his stylish tie. He leaned back into his chair with a casual ease and looked at her carefully. He noticed that she smelled faintly of that shampoo that he had lathered into her hair, a scent that he now came to love.

Silence, perhaps a beat too long even.

Jack held her gaze before finally breaking the awkwardness, "Special Agent Alpert says that you are doing well. Frankly, he didn't give much for me to comment on. He says you are a strong researcher, that you are progressing well."

Kate looked at him blankly. _Not much to comment on? Was he serious? Let's comment on the fact that we fucked each other, you prick. How long did he plan to keep this up?_

But she decided that she wouldn't let him outfox her at his little game. With unblinking eyes, she said, "Special Agent Alpert is seasoned, I'm fortunate to have him counsel me. But I'm tired of being behind the scenes. I'm ready for a case."

"Agent Austen, learning to profile is an ongoing process. Getting familiar with researching, with VICAP is part of understanding the violent criminal mind -"

"You don't think I know that … sir? I'm ready."

"Are you so sure? The Bureau received a call this morning from the Haverhill Police Department, a young woman, early twenties, was discovered dead in her home -"

Kate interrupted him, "I'll take the assignment -"

With a confused pause, Kate stopped speaking, noticing the wary look he gave her and she finally understood. She felt violated, but she knew better. He was her boss after all, her HR file was _his _ business. But it wasn't _Jack's _business. "You read my file -"

"I read all my agent's files -"

Kate cocked an eyebrow at him. "So you think you know me now?"

"I'm sorry about your sister." Jack said, his voice was quiet and very sincere.

Tugging unconsciously at her sleeve, she said, "Yeah me too. But that has nothing to do with me taking this case."

From Jack's experience, a number of men and women in the Behavioral Analysis Unit were not up to the formidable task of interviewing violent convicted criminals for one reason or another - especially when it came to child molesters and murderers. In this case, he did wonder if Kate's personal experience would hopelessly compromise an investigation ... or an interview session.

"You can still get experience working on cases with different types of victims -" An expression resembling tenderness spread across his face, but it was too late. He had triggered a response.

"That's so patronizing. I didn't join the Bureau so I can be coddled." Kate said peevishly.

"I didn't say _that_ Agent."

With her hands planted firmly on his desk, she leaned forward, her eyes fixing on him again. "Well, let me share something with you that's not in my personnel file. Yes, my older sister was a victim of a gruesome murder. But did you know that the press somehow made her seem like she asked for it because there was apparent consensual sex between her and her murderer. Jane, my sister, was not promiscuous. But she met a man, she let her guard down and paid for it dearly. Haven't we all let our guard down at one time or another, Agent Shephard?"

Kate looked at him and they both knew that she was referring to _them_ now. And they were both struck by the bitter sound in her voice.

But Kate continued, "And Jane's case has yet to be solved. And I'm sure you have me figured out, don't you? Maybe you have_ profiled_ me even? You think that the reason I'm here at the Bureau is because I've been afraid of dangerous men since I was sixteen years old, that I have spent my life fantasizing about apprehending my sister's killer. That this fantasy has been my way of coping with that fear. But what if I told you that I was more _fascinated _than afraid? What would you think of me then Special Agent _in Charge_ Shephard?"

Kate stood up and Jack immediately followed. Their eyes locked. And for a heart stopping moment neither one of them truly knew whether she would slap him in the face or lunge in for a kiss. Kate opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it. Instead, she turned around and left his office.

Jack sat down hard into his seat, exhausted and feeling at a complete loss for words. Jack stared at the empty doorway, his mouth fallen slightly open. The tone of her voice, the angry flare of resentment in her eyes - the conversation had taken a terrible turn. _What was wrong with him?_ He shouldn't have brought up the matter about her sister. If it were another agent, he wouldn't have done that, he would have let the matter rest and remain silent unless brought up to him.

But Kate wasn't just another agent, he wouldn't be able to treat her like everyone else. And that is where the heart of the problem lied. He had known that his attraction to her would be an issue and in his vain attempt to draw a professional line and make it impersonal between them, by pretending that they hadn't been intimate, he had made matters worse - obviously. He saw it coming too, yet he couldn't stop himself. The compulsion to self-sabotage, the little rush he got off on playing this game with her - he enjoyed it. And he got the feeling that she got a thrill in hating him and the obvious arousal she elicited from him. And then it occurred to him, that the two of them may have disturbing tendencies not too different from some of the subjects he had interviewed over the years.

She was sexy and powerful when she was full of anger and although he didn't know it, he felt safer keeping her angry at him. And despite her words, he saw the flash of vulnerability come over her face. She was open and exposed to him and regardless of what power she may have thought he had over her, she couldn't be more wrong. She held the cards, her vulnerability weakened him and that was the scariest feeling he knew.

Their conversation had also confirmed what he had already suspected after reading about the nature of Kate's sister's death. That night in the bar, when she told him that she wouldn't be good at a one-night stand, he didn't believe that she could be serious at the time, but now he knew why she felt that way. Anyone in her circumstances would feel that way. But then an odd thought entered his mind, was Kate, in some way, channeling her sister that night?

* * *

Kate marched to her desk and slammed a drawer shut, forcing Juliet to look up. While Kate gathered some of her belongings, Juliet felt propelled to ask, "I take it that your meeting didn't go well -"

She said nothing at first, but she was composed now and turned slightly towards Juliet, "I've been given an assignment. I'm going to Alpert's office now."

Despite the calmness, Juliet saw that Kate's smile was cold with a hint of anger. Something was up.

* * *

**A/N: SORRY for the delayed update. I have to also admit that this story has become a bit more complicated than I intended, so I am going to need all the support I can get to see this story through. I've been doing research (purchased books even!) and let me tell you, serial killers are a frightening topic to read about. **

**I also have a question though, do you like reading Jack's POV? At first, I was going to keep him pretty silent and mysterious and let Kate's voice do most of the talking. But I can't help but be drawn to writing him. I am enjoying his complexity in this story, as well as Kate's. She has a dark side too, yeah?**

**So please review to let me know whether all this effort is worth it. It would be greatly, greatly appreciated. **

**Also, FYI - The Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (ViCAP) maintains the largest investigative repository of major violent crime cases in the U.S. It is designed to collect and analyze information about homicides, sexual assaults, missing persons, and other violent crimes involving unidentified human remains.**

**Oh, and I know that UCLA law school doesn't offer a night program, but it worked best for my story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**PLEASE read author's note.**

* * *

**HAVERHILL - MA**

Alpert slowly drove the government black sedan from the local morgue to the victim's apartment that was located in the riverside section of Haverhill. It was a working class neighborhood, historically a manufacturing town with a couple of enclaves more riddled with urban blight. Kate sat in the passenger seat, scanning through the police detectives' files. The two of them had spent half the day at Homicide studying the report and related files in the precinct.

With slight irritation, Agent Alpert wondered how she could possibly read while a car was in motion - that always made him fucking nauseous. He decided to interrupt the silence, "I'm a bit surprised that Agent Shephard assigned you to the case."

Closing the file on her lap, Kate looked over her shoulder at her supervisor, "Really? Why's that?"

"Because he's very hands on. I thought that he would want to go himself -"

"Well, he manages an entire division now, he can't really expect to be out in the field anymore-"

He smirked knowingly, "I wonder how long he'll be able to stand back and watch-"

Kate was surprised by his candor, but wanted to encourage it as well. She loved learning these little illicit tidbits about Jack. _Fuck, she may even be excited, like a kid on Christmas Eve._

"What do you mean?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Because Shephard doesn't think like other people. Because he's the best, his ability to project and look at evidence is, well … you'll _see_." Alpert said as he pushed down the blinker and made a right hand signal.

Alpert knew enough of Shephard's reputation to discern that a management desk job wasn't for him. Shephard was too intense and not remotely interested in Bureau politics or image. He was a paradox - careful, meticulous, but there was an impulsive quickness to him too. He also had a blue-blood refinement to him that should have garnered more nicknames and disdain. His movie star looks, expensive suits, Alpert wondered how he survived at all in the LAPD culture. For the FBI, he was perfect PR. But - he must of been the brunt of more than a fair share of pranks back in L.A.

Today, the Bureau was a mixed bag, old cops, ex-paramilitary, academic eggheads - mathematicians, scientists, lawyers and accountants. With the excess of cyber crime today, the Bureau was always evolving.

"I thought you never worked with him before …." Kate breathed.

"I haven't, but he's lectured often. Usually, he instructs interviewing techniques, forensics and abnormal psych. He didn't visit Quantico while you were a trainee?"

_Well, that would have spared her plenty of agonizing grief if she had sat in on one of his lectures or training sessions…. _

_"_No, just Dr. Lewis and Dr. Sapin from University of Chicago," Kate said referring to the guest lecturers at the behavioral science section of the academy. -

"He would probably be an assistant director now if it weren't for the incident -" Richard disclosed.

"_Incident_?" Kate's stomach dropped and she realized that she may now be listening too pointedly.

Alpert glanced quickly over at her and could see the look of surprise and curiosity on her face. Didn't these new agents talk or gossip? Times must be changing he thought. They were a bunch of yapping bigmouths in his day.

"You don't know? It's common knowledge. Don't you kids spend time at the water cooler?"

"No, I don't know." Kate said honestly.

"A few years back, an agent - sort of like you actually, died in the line of duty. Special Agent Shephard was her supervisor. There was a question as to whether protocol was followed, Shephard was under investigation. There were also questions as to whether his judgment had been compromised." He released a heavy sigh, "It's a long story. In the end he was cleared - obviously. And it doesn't hurt to have close friends in high places." Richard shook his head in incredulity. "You _really _didn't hear about this? Agents Shephard and Widmore were investigating the 'Nightingale' killer."

Kate took a deep breath, absorbing this newfound information about him. _He had slept with a rookie before?_ "Agent Alpert, I never heard about all this." She paused. "May I ask why you are sharing this with me?"

Alpert paused. If he was going to work with Austen, he needed to know he could trust her. That was integral - to trust your partner. So maybe it was a test. "You seem discreet and know what to keep to yourself, Austen."

Maybe it was paranoia, but Kate wondered if there was some hidden meaning there. _Did he know?! Did Jack tell him? _Or maybe it was a coincidence. She released a heavy breath.

The car finally rolled into a stop in front of the frame of a small multi-dwelling. There were still patrol cars and the area was sealed off. Kate could see cops and civilians idling around, even though the crime scene had been active for nearly twenty-four hours at this point.

"Looks like we have a turf war over here," Alpert said while staring at a few bulky, angry looking detectives that stood in front of the porch.

Kate didn't understand, "What do you mean?"

"Jurisdiction. Looks like Boston PD thinks they get to piss around here."

They both stepped out of the car and walked over to the men that seemed to be in charge, identifying themselves and showing their badges.

After a few minutes, Kate walked around the side of the house, moving carefully and …_ looking_.

"_Fuck_, I'd love to tear off a little piece of that. You know, just a nibble," The leering cop said, while keeping his eyes set on Kate's backside. She was wearing a black pantsuit and comfortable loafers, but her femininity couldn't be concealed. The bawdy cop was outside of Kate's hearing distance, but not Richard's. Alpert could have said something, but he realized that his "aid" or "reprimand" could be construed as condescending. Agent Austen could hold her own, already he could see she had some grit. She was a newbie, but was very capable.

Nonetheless, Alpert cleared his throat to remind them that he was standing there. And the cops laughed. Looking at him, one of them asked, "Does your old lady know that you spend your work days with _that little piece_? My wife would rip my balls off."

Alpert was about to retort, but his phone rang. It was Shephard.

Alpert gave the men a reproachful glare, before turning his back and answering the call.

"Special Agent Alpert here."

"It's Shephard."

"Hello sir. How can I assist you?"

"Just checking in. Uhm, how is Agent Austen faring?"

"All's good here. We're at the crime scene now and are getting ready to enter."

"Okay then. Any issues? Concerns?"

"None sir." Richard considered it a moment, he and Jack had a pretty open and collegial relationship, so he decided to share a bit of the humor, "Agent Austen has a way with the cops around here -"

Alpert could hear Jack chuckle on the other end of the line. "What do you mean, Richard?"

"Just what I said, the cops _love_ her - the men and a few of the females too. They can't get enough of her." Richard shook his head and laughed.

Jack understood and he laughed too. But that didn't prevent a tinge of possessiveness to come over him.

"Well, just let me know if you hit any roadblocks."

"Sure, Jack."

Richard pocketed the phone into the inner breast sleeve of his suit jacket and began to look for Kate. It _was_ time.

The door to the apartment was open, Kate ducked under the police department seal and Alpert followed ….

* * *

**AUSTEN RESIDENCE - BEACON HILL- MA**

_(… that night)_

They laid on her bed, his right arm bent to cradle his head, his left arm at his side itching to touch her again. He wanted to draw her in, hold her and even though they had just made love (for the third time), he actually wondered if that gesture may be _too _much. Drawing the loose sheet to cover herself, she then lifted her head off her pillow, caught his gaze and opened her mouth -

"Hey," they both said in unison. Jack shook his head slightly and Kate couldn't help but laugh.

"You first." Kate said.

Jack shook his head, "Nah, ladies first."

But Kate wasn't having it, "Nope, you're the guest."

"Okay, then. I was just wondering if you … if you wanted me to get out of your hair. Whether I was overstaying my welcome." _ He hoped not. He didn't want to leave._

A flash of hurt passed her face. So brief, if Jack blinked, he would have missed it. Kate wondered if this was his signal that he had his fun and was now ready to leave.

"_Oh_." She said, suddenly feeling uneasy, a need to hop out of bed and get dressed. But why? It was her place, after all. She moved away from him slightly, but he rested his hand on her shoulder before she was able to sit up.

"Hey," he said warmly. "What were you going to say?"

"Oh nothing." Her voice choked slightly.

He didn't buy her response for one second. "_Kate_," he said tenderly.

She studied his expression and _fuck, _she was just going to tell him how she feels_, _"I don't want you to go. I mean … I'd like you to stay, but if you need to leave -"

He cut her off, now fully on top of her, her breasts pressed against him, he gave her a magnified devilish look, gripping her wrists above her head and pressing them into the mattress. Jack kissed her neck and murmured into her ear, "That's good to know because I am _so …" _

An open kiss placed on her jawline.

"_not_."

Punctuated by another sensual kiss.

"_done."_

And one more hot touch of his tongue.

"_with. you. yet,_" he breathed huskily.

His words sent a shiver down her spine and she thought she may actually come again. He made her so _insanely_ wet. Was it possible to die from an exploding libido? This man may actually kill her.

Kate may have even been purring now under the feel of his swirling tongue, the bristly hair of his chest tickling her nipples. For a few seconds he fed on the smooth skin of her neck before he abruptly lifted his head. _Okay, why was he stopping when this was feeling so good?_

Biting his bottom lip _so_ impishly, he declared, "But let's eat first. I'm starving."

He rose to his knees and then reached his hands out to drag her up with him. Once he was off the bed, he began the task of hunting around for his boxers while Kate went to her dresser and pulled out a soft jersey knit cotton romper. She pulled the thin spaghetti straps over her shoulders and noticed that Jack was still looking around. She then aided in his search and found them, "Jack -" she called out with a smile while twirling the fabric around her right hand before tossing it to him. He caught the boxers with a grin, "Thanks."

With his back to her, she watched him step into the shorts and she couldn't shake the feeling that this was too unnaturally intimate. Like they'd been lovers for a long time. Looking over his shoulder, he noticed her sleepwear and she looked amazing in the skimpy, but very comfortable looking ivory shorts one-piece. The bottom half was a pair of small briefs that hugged every curve and when he followed her out of the bedroom he caught sight of her bare back that was only covered by a pair dainty straps criss-crossed that held up the front bib.

He playfully tugged on a strap, "This looks _very_ cute on you."

With a toss of her hair, she laughed, "Thanks." But changing the subject, she said sounding apologetic, "If you wanted food, I'm afraid you came to the wrong place." Kate walked around the small kitchen island that also served as her dining table. Jack sat on one of the stools and looked around. Her kitchen opened into the small living room and the island is what divided the space. In front of the sofa was a fireplace and a large exposed brick wall. Her building was old, but charming. Very different from his modern hi-rise apartment.

Kate opened her fridge and she then scanned its contents, "Hmmmmm? Let's see. I have some O.J., strawberries, butter, cheese -" She then walked over to the cupboard and stood on her toes, "And week-old bread. That's it. How _exciting_." She rolled her eyes.

Jack stood up and walked towards her, "Sounds like grilled cheese sandwiches are on the menu. Where's your frying pan? Let's get started."

She pointed to the lower cabinet next to the stove and then began to lay out the plates and glasses on the island counter.

While they sat and ate Jack studied her for a moment, trying not to see her only as the object of his considerable desire, but trying to see who she might actually be. Her beauty was undeniable, and her languid movements that would be interrupted by an awkward laugh or smile or a stubborn chewing of her bottom lip. There was a vulnerability there and he was drawn to it.

Theirs was an easy conversation, deepening their knowledge of each other, but not in that typical superficial way. Jack knew she was lying about her career, but that didn't bother him as it should because he detected an earnestness in her, as well as something sad that was deeply hidden. And it was this that amplified his belief of a shared intimacy between them. They spoke quietly, and Kate told him about growing up in Iowa, what it had been like being the daughter of a police chief.

"Where did you attend college?" He asked casually.

"Northwestern. You?"

"Columbia."

"Oooooh. Ivy league … how _impressive." _Kate smirked, meanwhile thinking: _He's hot and … smart._

_"Nice. _Do I detect a little sarcasm there?_"_

"Uhm. Yes, you do. So did you always know that you wanted to be a lawyer?" She asked before taking the final bite of the bread crust in her hand.

Jack watched Kate then lick the remaining grain of salt off her thumb.

He shook his head slightly, "Actually, it was precisely what I didn't want to be. You see, my dad is a federal judge back in California."

Impressed, Kate drew her head back and uttered an, "Oh. Wow -"

"Yeah, well let's just say that he was doling out judgment and rulings _way_ before he took the bench." His expression travelled then and Kate noticed that he became quiet. He stood up as if he noticed something and walked over to the wall that was covered with framed photos and artwork. He straightened the one that was askew, the one that he and Kate nearly broke earlier when they attacked each other's mouths. He bent over to study it - two little girls on a seesaw. Big smiling grins on each of them. Kate was easy to spot with two brown curly pigtails on the top of her head, the other one was blonde, bigger.

"Your sister?"

"Yeah." Kate answered as she walked over to stand next to him.

"Older?"

Kate nodded. "Four years," she whispered. Jack looked over his shoulder and saw a hint of sadness, so he smiled comfortingly at her. Something told him not to talk about it anymore, maybe they were estranged. Family dynamics could be very sensitive. He knew that first-hand.

Turning to face her, he said simply, "Curly."

Her eyebrows rose, not following his meaning. "_What_?"

"Your hair is fully dry now. It's curly …." His hand went to push back the long heavy tendrils that must have been the envy of every woman.

He leaned in slowly and Kate waited for his lips to press hers, but instead he gave a little flick of the tip of his tongue at the corner of her mouth. He pulled back and she gave him a questioning look.

Pointing to his own mouth he gestured playfully, "You had a crumb there." Kate smiled then.

Their eyes dropped to each other's lips, lingering there. They both felt it. Keenly aware of what would happen next. Jack knew he was a second or two away from being a pure animal again. She fisted her hand and carefully dragged the knuckles along the stubble of his chin, her dark eyes now meeting his.

Jack groaned.

Looking down, Jack saw her breasts through the thin covering of cotton, he bent over and kissed them through the fabric, his tongue grazing the dark circle of a nipple before pushing the intrusive cloth away. Kate's head fell back when he began to maul her breasts with feverish kisses that were deliciously disrespectful. She thumbed his nipples as he sucked on hers hard and they tumbled awkwardly onto her sofa. Hands working desperately at each other's fabric, both twisting and impatiently rubbing at each other until they fell onto the floor with a heavy thud.

"Ouch!" Kate squeaked from the impact of her knee against the coffee table.

"Shit. Are you okay?" Jack asked, still hovering over her, before rising on his hands to examine her kneecap and its fragile skin. He shook his head, "It's gonna bruise."

He looked down at her face that was framed beautifully by her tousled hair. He tried to read her expression for any physical discomfort, he had to imagine that their combined weight dropping against the floor must have hurt her a bit. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight that the blinds weren't pulled down and made a mental note to draw them closed.

"I don't care," she said, sounding a bit impatient.

"Should we go to your bed? The floor can't be too comfortable for you, Kate."

Her response was to slam her hips upwards against his. "Just do me hard," she whispered. And that's all it took, to send him back into a furious impatient state of seeking his own relief.


	6. Chapter 6

**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA, BOSTON MA**

Jack ended his telephone conversation with Richard, wearing a small smile as he thought about Kate, how this was her first "official" case. The investigation may turn into nothing, the subject could be apprehended before she even had an opportunity to get into the weeds of it. But the ritualistic nature of the murder warranted Bureau expertise. Kate was in good hands. Alpert would keep everything under control.

And as for Richard's shared and amusing observation about Kate, Jack had no doubt that she caused a reaction when she arrived on the scene - he was certain that there were low murmurs and indecent sideward glances.

For the most part, detectives' physiques, men and women, reflected their sedentary lifestyle. So Kate, being young, shapely and exceptionally beautiful. She was far from being representative of a typical law enforcement officer or even any civilian for that matter. Kate could make fashion models quake with envy. He knew that much.

And he had been, _obviously_, unable to resist. He had even vowed to himself that he wouldn't go home with her that night, and yet if he were completely honest with himself, he somehow always knew he would.

Jack thought he heard a sound that resembled a sigh, and then realized that it had come from him. When did he start sighing over a woman?

He rubbed his temple before quickly mixing an Alka-Seltzer into his water-filled mug and downing it. He had lost track of how many vodka and sodas he drank while he was home alone in his apartment last night. But how else was he supposed to get some sleep? How else can one suppress the nightmares that would wake him up rigid and in a sweat?

_ Fuck!_ It's always _that_ one drink, _one fucking drink _that crosses the line from easy slumber to vicious hangover. And, boy, he was paying for it now.

Yet, that fleeting vision. He was still envisioning Kate at the scene now, profiling her first murder investigation, the addictive rush he knew she had to be experiencing … and the accompanying _fear_. Why did he envy her?

The beautiful image momentarily suppressed the pain of his throbbing headache. It actually gave him a fleeting high, the idea of her beautiful, innocent self being plunged head first into the darkness … into _his_ lonely world.

And what did that desire imply about him? _Yeah ... he didn't want to think about that_. Was it sexual … a weakness … a predilection or … worse, perversion?

For a long time now, he knew he was a little fucked up, but this was wrong. It felt sordid mixing his lust with thoughts of work and violence.

Nonetheless, he relaxed a moment allowing himself to drown in the image, but it was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. It was his supervisor … it was Assistant Director Locke. He exhaled, in weariness and irritation. _God, he hated this promotion._

* * *

**REGINA STEVENS RESIDENCE - HAVERHILL - MA**

Richard asked all the other investigators to leave the premises, so the two of them could avoid any distractions. The living room was small, simple and tidy and for some reason that image forced a trickle of fear down her back and for a moment she wondered whether she would able to manage _it_. Confused by the sensation, she paused. _She was supposed to suppress this feeling, right?_

But it was too late.

"What? Are you spooked, Agent Austen?" Alpert asked, after watching her carefully. After all, he was there for two reasons: profile the unidentified subject and observe the new agent.

She ignored the question as she fisted her hands into her trouser pockets, leaning back into her heels and continued to peer around.

"Who were you talking to on the phone outside?" Kate asked brusquely. She hated feeling watched. Her dad did it all the time ... always babysitting her.

"Excuse me?" Richard asked.

"I saw you talking on the phone."

"It was Special Agent Shephard. You know? Our boss."

"Oh. Is he checking up on me now?" She asked with irritation while she bent down to look at the stains of blood and matted sliding marks on the hallway rug. Her resentment hung in the air, growing every second, but she then realized that her blunt reaction would seem unusual … _personal_. _Shut up, Kate._

He was none the wiser to Kate's snide reaction, many agents disliked Shephard, viewing him as arrogant, exacting and demanding. While Richard wouldn't disagree with that perception, he already could tell that Jack was fair, honest, hard working and avoided office politics at all costs.

"Agent Austen, it's protocol. Don't flatter yourself," Richard answered.

_Ouch!_

Phrased that way, she preferred that he have a personal interest … not that it really mattered since she hated Jack now. She hated that he made her realize how sexually mismatched she was with her two ex-boyfriends. She hated how he teased her into feeling that they shared some searingly hot, but deep connection between them.

Kate's attention then honed in on the bloodstains. Something. Something … was off. "Agent Alpert, didn't the police report say that the detectives believed the victim was crawling to get away and that is how these marks were made?"

Alpert opened the file, "Yep. That's correct."

Although the detectives had been thorough, this didn't sound right to her. "Hmmm …I think it was the killer that moved her," Kate blurted.

Alpert walked over, now standing over her hunched form, "Why do you say that?

Kate thought about it. "She was pretty, he wanted to have fun with her. Why wouldn't he? He finally had her just where he wanted and all to himself." Kate answered while remembering the pictures of the petite brunette with light blues eyes in the detectives' file. Regina wasn't random. He looked for her. He spent time on this.

"I think he raped her in the living room, on the couch. He stabbed her, then dragged her to bedroom so he could continue the 'intimacy'. A woman's bedroom is personal, it's intimate - a place of trust. He knew that. That is why he wanted to sodomize her in her bed. He wanted to - "

An unexpected memory flashed into her mind then. Jack pinioning her on the bed, using a firm grip, which despite her ever unrelenting need to be in control, she joyfully yielded to. It was an unexpected pleasure. How was he able to do it? Maybe it was his playful tongue that worked the perfect balance of hard and soft ... that allowed her to acquiesce … to ...

She blinked furiously then, trying to jar herself back into the moment ... the reality. She knew these thoughts were absurd under the circumstances.

_Je-sus_. _Time to get back to work, Kate. _

Her mind then went into overdrive and she started to talk out loud, "Uhm. There were no forced signs of entry. There was no evidence that indicated that she was surprised by his entry. So either he was invited in by her or he somehow was able to gain access to her keys and make a copy. Her apartment is on the second floor, so he wouldn't be able to climb through a window. If he was invited in, he is -"

Kate then grabbed the file out of Richard's hands and headed to the kitchen, there were two wine glasses on the drying rack. "He is probably handsome or at least above average looking, good looking enough to be invited for a nightcap by pretty Regina. He washed the glasses though, to make sure to rid them of any evidence -"

"How do you know they weren't both hers? Maybe one from a previous evening?" Alpert knew she was right, but he wanted to get into her head, get her to explain herself.

"She's too neat, look at this place. Nothing is out of place. And, a single girl enjoying a drink on her own wouldn't take a new glass out of the cupboard when there was one handy on the rack or in the sink." Kate left the kitchen and Alpert followed.

Alpert rubbed his jaw in thought, taking in her observations. "What was his souvenir?"

Kate huffed, "Her right hand obviously. I'm going to run this case through ViCAP tonight." Kate exhaled.

They went to the bedroom, she saw the bloodstains on the headboard and the wall above it. She looked around minutely and saw more bloodstains on the baseboards, fourteen swipes along the wood. Kate left the room and came back with a pad of paper and pen from her bag. She began her field sketch.

Without looking at him, she asked, "Agent Alpert, while I'm in here, would you mind inquiring as to how long house-to-house interviews will continue by the police department? I recommend a six block radius around the scene."

Richard was about to interject, that was _her _job, NOT his. Since when did he take orders from a rookie? But he glanced her way, she was completely engrossed. It was charming. He would go outside and ask.

_Damn_, she _was_ actually pretty good.

* * *

**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA, BOSTON MA**

Juliet and Kate were standing at Miles's cluttered desk when the phone rang. He looked at the screen. "Shit! It's him," Miles groaned. He allowed another ring, so he could gather his composure before speaking to Shephard. He may have even shuddered. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and finally picked up the receiver.

"Special Agent Chang. I mean Straume-Chang," He managed to eke out, sweat already forming in his armpits.

Miles looked up at Kate and Juliet with that_ 'help me'_ sort of look. "Hello, Special Agent in Charge Shephard." He nodded and then listened for a couple of seconds.

"Five minutes?" Miles asked.

Nodding some more, he continued to talk into the mouthpiece, "Yes sir. I'll be in your office in five minutes."

Miles hung up the phone, sighed and gave a helpless expression to his friends, "_That_ asshole. I bet he gets hard on making me miserable. He's about to rip me a new asshole for something."

"Chang, _come on_ -" Juliet said softly.

"No. I know what you're gonna say - that I'm oversensitive. But the dude says I'm a fucking mess."

The women looked at him skeptically.

"No. I'm serious. Shephard literally refers to me as a 'fucking mess'. He uses the f-bomb."

Juliet and Kate looked at him curiously.

"What? He doesn't curse at you guys?" Miles asked and then saw the women's eyes dragging slowly over his desk, as if studying it. It was covered with a work week's worth of Starbuck's coffee cups, stacks of strewn files, granola bar wrappers and even peanut shells.

Juliet said, "Well … he _may_ be onto something Miles. I mean, _look_ at your desk. It _is_ a _fucking mess_."

Kate gave a nod in silent agreement and that was enough to make Miles even more defensive.

"Well … _fuck_ both of you." He hurled in frustration. He focused on Juliet first, "You used to be cool, but now you're a goody two shoes kiss-ass. And, by the way, Shephard's probably only nice to you because you have big juicy tits." And then he looked at Kate, "Ever since you got laid, you've become a moody bitch. I liked you better fuckstrated." He stood up, grabbed a pen and notepad before straightening his tie, "Now if you'll excuse me … I have to go suck our boss's dick."

Slightly stunned, they watched him stalk off in anger. They looked at each other, their smirks slowly creeping across their faces before they burst out laughing. Kate held back her tears, "_That_ was great."

Juliet covered her mouth, trying to stifle herself, "Yeah, his tantrum was awesome. But come on, help me out and let's clean up this pigsty." Without responding Kate began to help Juliet tackle Miles's desk.

"I think we're going to need a few wastebaskets. God, how did he let it get like this?" Juliet asked out loud as she tossed the used coffee cups into the garbage. "Little bastard. I knew he was checking me out," Juliet mumbled.

Kate's ears perked up, a hollow feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, "What? Does Shephard … uhm, look at your … chest?" Kate gave a quick glance at Juliet's voluptuous bustline and the thought that Jack may prefer Juliet's ample breasts left her with a ... _crappy_ feeling inside.

Juliet laughed, "No! I'm talking about Miles, that little perv. I thought I caught him eyeing my girls a few times. But Shephard, no. I sort of wish he would though. If there was a man that I wouldn't mind looking there, it is him." Juliet winked at Kate in that woman-to-woman meaning. But Juliet wasn't being fully honest. She definitely thought Shephard was very handsome and she was curious about him. But a couple of weeks ago Special Agent Ford called. He came up to visit and _well _… she didn't mention any of that to Kate or Miles.

Juliet then whispered, "What do you think his deal is? Shephard?"

Kate bent her head closer to Juliet, her heart now in a jitter as it always was when she allowed herself a few moments of weakness to not hate him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean he's close to forty, never been married, spends all his time working, so I doubt he's in a relationship. He's definitely not gay, I can tell that much."

_Oh, he's definitely not gay, _Kate almost said out loud.

Unconsciously, Kate nodded in agreement, but her shoulders slumped. Talking about him was torture, even though she wanted to punch him in the face.

Juliet stopped to muse out loud, "Too bad he's our boss, he seems like he could have been a nice replacement for that mystery man of yours. Which now, I have to say, I do agree with Miles. You _have_ been a raging bitch since that night. Sex is supposed to make you less uptight, not more. It's like you hate all men now. Jesus Kate, You're even giving Shephard dirty looks."

Kate stiffened with defensiveness and anger, "Ok Juliet, you've made your point. Can you lay off of me now?" Yet ...what a hypocrite she was, she thought. It was fine when Miles was under their unforgiving microscope, but feeling herself under Juliet's relentless observation pissed her off.

Juliet was about to apologize when her phone rang ... it was _him ... James. _

* * *

**A/N - Okay, so this is a short chapter. But I think it reveals a lot. And is it funny? Humor is SO HARD to write! **

**Your reviews blew me away and your words were so inspirational and that is how I managed to update this story in under a week! Seriously, you all are THE best! **

**FYI - the case, I'm flying by the seat of my pants! I hope it sounds marginally authentic and I haven't lost you guys! **

**TTR, I'm still working on it!**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! **

**ox**


	7. Chapter 7

_**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA**_

_Four weeks later_

When Jack approached her desk, she made no effort to ignore him this time. He was her boss and she had vowed to herself after her conversation with Juliet to ease up a little. It wasn't like her to break rank and file, to be disrespectful. She was walking a fine line here and knew she would have to rein in the attitude if she hoped to have a future with the Bureau. His responsibilities kept him away from the office most of the time, so how hard could it be to be civil?

"Afternoon, Austen. Can I have a word with you in my office?"

Kate turned to him, she responded yes. He felt his shoulders stiffen from the cool precision of her receptiveness to his request. And for a fleeting moment, for the first time he could remember since high school, a woman made him feel sexually irrelevant.

He gestured for her to take a seat and she did. Kate kept her face still as she looked at him, her expression not exactly hostile, but not friendly either. As was his habit now, he looked straight at her, very politely, as if meeting her for the first time. Kate hated this. She wanted to find some hint in his face. She would even settle for that mocking grin she thought she saw in the kitchen pantry. That seemed so long ago now. She had even wildly thought that he was leaning in to kiss her then, that the seeds of attraction between them were a force too strong to deny. But … he didn't, yet Kate couldn't help but sense that he was forcing himself to pull away, even with Alpert walking in.

Jack stood behind his desk and leaned his head back against the bookcases lined against the wall. His arms were folded across his chest. Kate tried not to look at his groin which was now eye-level to her seated position. _What the hell was she doing?_

"Alpert told me that you both were in Fitchburg the last two days - another homicide. Similar pattern to the victim in Haverhill?"

"Yes, the victim, female, mid-twenties, brown hair, she -"

He gave an impatient shrug, "She shares the same physical characteristics of the prior victim. I understand. Next item, Austen."

Kate rolled her eyes at his rude interruption. Shephard was not in good humor today, _obviously_.

But she continued speaking anyway, "I think the killer had her under surveillance, maybe even approached her under the guise of someone with authority, perhaps posing as law enforcement -"

"And what makes you assume that?"

"I'm not _assuming _anything," Kate snapped. She knew that making assumptions in the agency was an open invitation to be rebuked.

_Don't let him get under your skin._ "Unlike the previous victim, this one was living with her fiancé who was out of town on business. She … _Miss Saunders,_ had just come home from her evening shift at the hospital when the murder occurred. I interviewed the fiancé, her friends and family. For the last few months, she had been taking on extra shifts at the hospital …." Kate paused then, a subtle feeling of emotion seemed to bubble in her throat, but she pushed it back. "The victim needed the added income to save for her wedding expenses." That added bit of knowledge affected her for some reason. It made her feel like these girls could have easily been her.

Jack nodded slowly and then took his seat, "The news reports are calling it random and with no apparent motive." Yeah, he was testing her now.

She squinted, trying to read him. "We both know that mass murderers and serial murderers do not select their victims at random. There are differences in the crimes, of course. This time, instead of a hand, he removed her foot. He strangled this victim instead of using a knife. The killer may have known them, or he might not have known his victims at all. But I'm certain … _certain_ that he saw them … studied them for a while before he killed them. There is something about these women. A reason why he wants his victims to look alike." She paused, her mind working hard to find a common factor.

"Did Vi-CAP turn up anything, Austen?"

"Yes and … _no_. There _were_ two murders that occurred six and eight months ago, but they happened in California. The physical profile of the victims is different too. With the west coast murders, the women were five feet, seven inches tall, blond, blue eyed. But the killer kept the same trophies - a hand and a foot -"

"Do you think they're connected?"

"I don't know. Maybe the change was intentional? Certainly, the cooling off period between each set of murders is different. Back then it was about two months in between, here in Massachusetts it's been one month." She didn't know what to make of it, but continued to think out loud, "Perhaps it's a copycat? And our east coast killer just decided to slightly customize his murders?"

She looked down at her lap and Jack could see that she was pensive, deep in thought. He asked, "So what's next?"

Kate looked up and sighed,"I'm driving back tomorrow to interview the hospital staff and review employment records. Special Agent Alpert will not be accompanying me though. He said I was ready to go on my own."

Jack nodded, this was routine, standard protocol, the investigation hadn't escalated to the point where she needed constant direct supervision.

There was an awkward silence, so Kate asked, "Is there anything else?"

Jack shook his head,"No. I'm satisfied so far. When will you have the profile ready to give me?"

"Give you or Alpert?" She asked quizzically, not understanding his sudden involvement in her case.

He shook his head slightly as if he were correcting himself, "Send it to Alpert and copy me. I do expect you to finish it by the end of the week."

"Yes sir." She stood up, straightened out the front of her dress.

"Austen, actually, there is _another _item." There was a hint of trepidation in his voice and she caught it. Kate slowly sat down. A pulsing sensation was running through her veins. Why did she feel that his real intentions for calling her into his office was about to be revealed?

He cleared his throat, "There is … uhm… something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

_Yes! Bingo! Finally! _

Kate may have even rubbed her palms in anticipation. They were _finally_ going to talk about the giant elephant in the room. A smile and then a sigh of relief came out of her lips. She felt restless and shifted her hips in a way that looked as if she had to go pee.

"The last time we spoke, I brought up something personal that I shouldn't have. It was inappropriate for me to discuss your personnel file that way. I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable."

_That's it?! _Heat traveled up her neck and her fingers shook with anger. _THIS_? _This_ is what he wanted to talk about? A sinking feeling was pulling her down to the sunken vessel that was her heart. There would be no talk. She saw it now.

"Is that it? Is that _all_ you have to say?" She was prodding, holding out hope. This couldn't be it. _No._

Hurt. Disappointment. Anger. It was all there for her.

"Yes, that's it. Is there something else you were expecting?" He asked cautiously, not really wanting an honest answer.

Kate stood up, her voice choking slightly, "No. That's it. And it's all fine. Thank you for the apology." She left in a blur, didn't even give him the opportunity to add anything else. He knew what she wanted to hear. But he couldn't give it to her. And why was he such an asshole?

That evening Kate sat curled up on her sofa, flipping through the channels on her tv and abruptly stopped on one program. The local Boston news was on. And there was Jack, standing next to the U.S. Attorney and some other officials. It was footage from a press conference held earlier today, the Boston Field Office had cracked down on a large health care fraud scheme. She studied him and hated herself for admiring how handsome he looked. He was so photogenic, his expensive suit tailored just so. But she saw something else too. He looked different, not at ease, not his usual self.

That made her curious.

She watched him then take a spot behind the microphone, clear his throat and begin to speak, "Imagine receiving a diagnosis of cancer and then having to go through chemotherapy or other intensive treatments. Then imagine finding out that you never had cancer in the first place and that your doctor—whom you trusted implicitly—merely used you in his scheme to fraudulently bill the federal Medicare program and private insurance companies for hundreds of millions of dollars. That's exactly what happened to patients of Dr. Romanov, a Rhode Island-area hematologist and oncologist. And it was not only cancer diagnoses. Some patients were told, wrongly, that they had other conditions which required expensive intravenous therapies, medications, and diagnostic tests...all of which jeopardized their health and well-being. But after a thorough investigation by the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations …."

Kate stopped listening and began to cry. This man was torturing her.

* * *

_**FBI - BOSTON FIELD DIVISION - ONE CENTER PLAZA**_

_Three weeks later_

Kate rubbed her tired eyes. Hours spent on Vi-CAP, digging through the database trying to find that one common link the victims share. She was spending too much time on this case, one that was turning cold with each passing day, but she couldn't let it go ... she _wouldn't_ let it go. But it was late, her vision was getting blurry from the glow of the screen and she looked at the clock on her computer monitor. It _was_ late. Time to go home, get some sleep. She rose from her seat and began to gather her things. The evening cleaning staff had turned off most of the lights, but Kate noticed some light emanating down the corridor. Curious to see who was also working so late, she put down her things and followed the light's direction. As she turned the corner, she shouldn't have been so surprised that it was coming from Jack's office.

Now that her nosiness was satisfied, she should have turned around, picked up her bag and left for the evening. But she frowned instead. A certain bitterness began to billow, he was playing with her head and she knew it. Anger, pure and simple swept over her. Months of pent up frustration and hurt suddenly moved her feet forward so that she was marching in her fashionable pumps.

She stepped in his office and kicked the door shut behind her, the loud sound causing Jack to jolt back into his chair in surprise. The startled _'What the hell's the matter with you? Are you crazy?' _ look was plastered to his face. And that enraged her further, because she was NOT the crazy one here.

And ... and ... she's been profiling him, she even has his file saved on her laptop at home to prove it! _Goddammit!_ He's the nut job. She wondered if she even had the self-control to stop herself from throwing a punch at him.

Kate watched him slowly fold his arms across his chest as he settled further back into his chair, looking cool and collected now. She tried to ignore his muscular forearms that were exposed below his rolled up shirt sleeves. She still remembered how they felt under her hands. Kate swatted away at some errant hair on her cheek and tried to not notice how it felt like someone had turned up the thermostat in his office.

A faint grin played across his face as he studied her with a certain amused contentment. He wasn't expecting this hot-blooded, feisty and ... beautiful intrusion, green eyes flared hotly and her nose wrinkling in displeasure. But he didn't mind the disruption. Didn't mind it at all. He watched Kate slowly make her way around his desk towards him, each step more tantalizing than the previous one - he tried to keep his eyes off her shapely calves. He swiveled his seat and rolled it back so that his knees were directly facing her.

Placing her hands on her hips, she asked him, "Do you remember me?" Kate made sure to enunciate each word carefully. His eyes squinted slightly, a small smirk followed. Kate nodded and offered a squint in return that read: _ 'I thought so.' _

Kate then got an idea. She licked her lips.

She leaned over him, her palms resting on the armrests of his chair now, their faces inches apart. Allowing him to be sharply aware of how close her body was to his.

She gritted out the words, "I asked you a question. Do you remember me?"

_This was getting very ... interesting, _he thought.

He was actually intending to have this conversation with her tomorrow. He was forced to now because of the new circumstances with her case, there would be no more avoiding their complicated history. Jack felt the heat coming off of her and he had to admit that he was preferring her approach to this discussion more than what he had planned.

Kate's way was _definitely_ more intriguing and ... exciting. Especially, since he was just able to get a tiny glimpse down her blouse.

Jack raised his hand to stroke his jaw and nodded very slowly. _Yeah, he was going to play along with her._ Their eyes were now locking.

And Kate recognized that wicked grin of his, the way he squinted his eyes before he answered. "You know what Agent Austen? You _do_ look a bit more familiar to me now that you mention it."

Kate made the tiniest gasp, but her insides grew bolder and she felt the blood beating in her throat. _So_ … he wanted to play this game - fine. But she was determined to be the one to win it. Yet, she hesitated, blinked even at the bold way his eyes travelled over her, making her feel as if she had nothing on. She shuddered.

_She was in over her head with this one, that was for sure. _

_Fuck it. _He was barely in the office anyway. It would probably be weeks until she saw him again. It would just all go back to that 'normal' state of awkwardness. But, at this moment, she just needed this bit of satisfaction.

Thoughtlessly, she lifted the hem of her skirt, just enough so she could rest her knee on the seat cushion just outside his thigh. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his glance drifted down to her thigh. She then carefully, placed her other knee so she was now straddling him and providing just the right pressure. He may have released a groan, he wasn't sure because he was so attracted to this woman. A woman who obviously was still able to heat his skin up. Kate was determined to stick to the plan and not think about the fact that part of her was fighting against the urge to wiggle out of her panties and have her way with him - enjoy this man for all he's worth.

Kate felt Jack stiffen ever so slightly at her encroachment and she brought her face closer, so that their noses were brushing, their mouths only a breath apart. They could both hear their hearts thumping wildly now and Kate got a sudden thrill from the look of stoicism on his face and the loud sound of the gulp he swallowed.

Kate's eyes drifted to his lips, then breathily she told him, "Maybe this can help jog that memory of yours."

Slowly … _slowly_, she pressed her body against his. He noticed that she was trembling, how tiny her waist felt under his hands, how firm her small breasts were as they grazed his chest.

The dull ache of his desire was throbbing between them now. He wanted her. There was no denying it.

He watched her close her eyes and run the tip of her tongue across her lips before tickling it against his. He grinned, accepted her challenge and slowly drew her soft tongue against his.

With a groan of mingled passion and frustration, he let her kiss him full on the mouth - it was a slow and greedy kiss. Designed to draw him in and make him want more. And he did. Their lips, their tongues pulled and sucked hungrily and she reached for his tie and then began to wind the silk fabric around her hand and then jerked him closer to her. Kate rotated her hips against his arousal and he bucked up against her. She enjoyed the feel of his taut thigh muscles, maybe too much so. His hands were itching to touch her soft skin again and the scent and heat of he aroused center was all he could take.

Jack took a furtive look from the corner of his eye, wondering if there was a way to lock the door without interrupting … without … stopping _whatever the hell it was they were doing_.

His hands roamed up her skirt, his fingers playing at the elastic band of her tights. Yeah. He was going to do this. Fuck her senseless on his desk, on this chair, on every available surface in this room. Who was he kidding? It was always only a matter of time.

Kate saw that he was about to hook his thumbs around and tug the fabric down. And the fact that he took it for granted that she would succumb and let him take her like this, in his office, like she was some overawed schoolgirl left a bitter trace in her mouth.

But she was determined to stick with the plan. So she pulled her face away, looking at him, the way his eyes were blurry with lust. "You like _this_?" She breathed, mustering up the sexiest voice she had and then pressed herself against his groin for emphasis.

A pained groan came from him. _Yes. _He didn't need to say it. But the answer was clearly yes.

His sounds were breathy and inarticulate against her cheek. That made Kate smile impishly. _Gotcha. _ She _finally_ had this little sucker just where she wanted. _Who's the boss now, Special Agent in Charge Shephard?_

She slowly lifted herself off his lap, but he seized her hips in resistance, trying to plant her right back where she belonged. Kate shook her head in a teasing _nuh uh uh,_ taking his hands and forcefully removing them. And then, harshly, she added, "Well, that's just too bad. Because you can't have it. It's too late now. I hate you, Jack."

There was a flash of vulnerability and hurt in his eyes, which he quickly masked, but not before she saw it though. Her heart slightly bowed in wanting to understand him. But then she remembered what he has put her through over the past few months and the anger crawled back.

But he recovered soon enough, the familiar, cool facade returned, "I take it, that you didn't have a chance to read my email, Kate?"

'_Kate_.' He finally said her name. And she was ready to pounce on him for holding it back so long. Wait_ … email_?

"What email?" He heart plummeted into her stomach now. This wasn't going to be good. She could tell.

"The one that notified you that I've assumed direct supervision of your case. You and I are traveling to Maine tomorrow. Another victim that matches your profile turned up this evening, I got the call couple of hours ago. Alpert will be interim SAIC - effective immediately."

Kate's heart plunged into her stomach. What did she just do? _Again?_

Her little frame was shaking, unable to contain the fury. "You … _you_ set this up." She sputtered, all the while knowing that she sounded like a babbling idiot, of course he didn't. But that didn't stop the stupidity from continuing to flow out of her mouth, "You intentionally … made _this_ happen!" Kate was pointing at his chair now, a direct reference to the location of their make-out session.

"_I _made _that_ happen? You can't be serious." He chuckled and scoffed with incredulity at her accusation. Yet he thought she was still the most adorable thing he ever set eyes on, even if she looked like she wanted to kill him with her bare hands. Every part of his being was telling him to go to her, to give in, say the right words … but, he wouldn't … he _can't_.

Kate knew she was talking crazy now, this whole spectacle was her own loony idea. But she hated feeling that he somehow turned the tables on her. That she played right into his hands - literally. Couldn't she finally get some small victory here? She looked at his smug face and saw that he was enjoying her reaction. And that enraged her. This was supposed to be about dangling herself in front of him, making him want her and then yanking it away. Instead, now he was smirking and enjoying seeing what was surely steam coming out of her ears.

"You know Kate, you can barge into my office and give me a lap dance anytime." His voice was lazily indolent and the lusty, sarcastic undertone was about to send her over the edge. But she had no snappy comeback.

"See you at 0800, Austen." He grinned widely at her before looking down at his computer monitor. Her jaw dropped, hands clenched into tiny fists, feeling as if he had given her a dismissive swat on her behind and sent her on her way.

She yanked the door open and the only silver lining she could hope for was that he was left suffering from an excruciating case of blue balls.

* * *

**A/N - Ha! Kate's revenge. Not quite what she wanted. But the good news is, the two of them will now be working together ... closely.**

**I had so much fun writing that and I hope their big 'remembrance' scene lives up to the expectation. At first, I was planning to make it sweet and tender. And then I said, _fuck it_. Bring on the angst. **

**So sorry for the lapse in updates. But I've been very busy ... _so_ ... _so_ busy. I hope you guys let me know that you are still reading and want me to continue. Because I'll write if you want me to. **

**As always, thank you for the reviews, they are so very appreciated. **


End file.
